


iris (when one pretends)

by hausos



Category: Bleach
Genre: Agender Character, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Asexual Character, BAMF Ichigo, Canon-Typical Violence, Epic Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Ichigo Asks Questions, Non-binary character, Not Canon Compliant, OT5 Friendship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Queerplatonic Relationships, Sorry Not Sorry, Tags May Change, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-24 02:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 30,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7489539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hausos/pseuds/hausos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Masaki knows everything (not really, but it's not until later that Ichigo realizes this).</p><p>Ichigo asks questions (about identities, but perhaps not enough about anything else).</p><p>Ichigo has a uterus (but isn't a girl, or a boy).</p><p>Ichigo doesn't Give a Fuck (lies. He cares too much, but only about his family).</p><p>Sometimes, asking questions leads to (almost) everything changing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. Okay, this story is... a year in the making? I think... yeah, I just checked, it has definitely been more than a year since I first started thinking/writing notes about this. And like all my stories tend to, what I imagined in the beginning isn't how it ended up here.
> 
> The chapter itself was written in the span of a week during this month's campnanowrimo. It was going to be longer, but I got tired at the end and decided that since the next bits were pretty important for Ichigo to go through, that they'd be put in the next chapter.
> 
> This is my baby, so I'm a bit nervous about letting the world see it. But excited too! Let's see how this goes, yeah?

Ichigo woke up to the feeling that something was going to happen.

After debating whether or not to just go back to sleep, Ichigo sighed and sat up. Whatever it was, it was going to happen no matter what Ichigo did. With his luck, it’d probably take place in his bedroom-

Ichigo paused and then sighed. _Of course I’d just jinx myself._

It took more effort than it usually did to drag himself out of bed. Feeling sluggish, Ichigo went through his morning routine. Mentally complaining the entire way, he managed to put his uniform on and comb his hair. Putting all of the books and stuff for school in his bag was automatic at this point, but even that took effort.

He only felt more awake and willing to face the day after he washed his face.

“Wake up, Karin!” Ichigo knocked on the twins’ door as he walked past it.

Yuzu, of course, was already awake and downstairs making breakfast. There was a long, drawn out groan in response, which everyday, made Ichigo smile no matter what. Ichigo knocked on the door again before heading downstairs.

“Good morning, Onii-chan!” Yuzu greeted cheerfully, looking up from her cooking.

“Morning,” Ichigo replied, patting Yuzu’s hair as he went to set the table.

Whatever was going on, if it was something big. It didn’t matter if it was good or bad, or neither. Ichigo hated the feeling of hiding away. Whatever made him feel like burrowing into his pillow and sleeping it off? _Not. Good._

“‘Morning,” Karin said, yawning.

“Good morning, Karin-chan!” Yuzu said. She spent a brief second rubbing her cheek against her twin’s.

“Go get Goat-Face,” Ichigo said. Bringing their father in from opening the clinic was pretty much the only way that would stop Karin from face planting into breakfast.

“Yeah, yeah,” Karin mumbled, stumbling slightly to the clinic door. “OI! Goat-Face! Time for breakfast!” she yelled.

There was also the fact that their father didn’t do much unless excessive force was used. Honestly, Ichigo thought that he’d just work until he collapsed if not for any of them.

“Good morning, my precious children!” Isshin bellowed when he came inside. Karin, wisely, was already out of reach.

“Oi, Goat-Face! Watch where you’re going!” Ichigo snapped, ducking under a frantic open-armed tackle. He placed the last of the meal on the table to turn to his father. “You almost made me drop the food!”

“Ah! My son is so mean to me!” Isshin wailed, fake tears streaming down his face. The only consolation at that moment was that he didn’t prostrate himself in front of the poster of Masaki. Yet.

“Onii-chan, Otou-san,” Yuzu said mildly, tapping her wooden spoon against the table. Ichigo immediately straightened and Isshin quieted. “Breakfast is ready. Please sit down.”

Ichigo sat. Isshin did as well. Karin yawned and looked ready to fall asleep.

Their morning routine complete, breakfast continued on as normal. One of the only times that Isshin was silent around his family was when they were eating. That was why mornings tended to be Ichigo’s favorite time of the day.

“Where’s Tatsuki?” Karin asked halfway through her meal. She blinked blearily around the table.

“She had club duties this morning,” Ichigo said.

“She didn’t take her lunch,” Yuzu said, frowning.

“I’ll take it to her,” Ichigo assured. “Did she eat breakfast?”

Yuzu nodded. “I also made lunch for Sado-nii-chan,” she said, quietly.

“I’ll take it,” Ichigo said.

Chad had recently lost one of his part time jobs. Everyone took turns bringing him food so that he could focus on finding another. Chad had some pride, though, so it was a good thing that Yuzu managed to get to him before he could protest too much.

“Stay safe, my children!” Isshin yelled. He waved excitedly at the three of them until they turned the corner.

“I have no idea where the hell he gets his energy from,” Ichigo muttered.

Eh, didn’t matter. It was comforting, how little Isshin changed over the years. He had always been this excitable and loud for as long as Ichigo could remember. He even kept trying to pick Ichigo up to spin him in a circle.

Not that Ichigo let him, of course.

“How goes soccer?” Ichigo asked Karin.

She frowned. “They’re still being annoying!”

“They aren’t letting Karin-chan make the co-ed team,” Yuzu said. She sounded disappointed in the establishment, which. _Ha_.

“Ah,” Ichigo said, “Well, don’t let their stupidity stop you. Continue working. You’re Kurosaki. They’ll give in eventually.”

“You and Tatsuki will help if I can’t, right?” Karin asked.

Ichigo smirked. “Of course. But don’t sell yourself short.”

“I’ll try my best to help!” Yuzu said cheerfully. By which she meant that if someone died of say, poisoning, not to be surprised.

Yuzu wouldn’t _actually_ kill someone, Ichigo hoped. Eh…

“Please don’t kill anyone,” Ichigo said. Not that they all wouldn’t vouch for her, but still. Killing people generally invited their spirits to haunt you. And they all had enough spirits haunting them already.

“If anyone in this family ends up a murderer, it’s going to be me.” Karin said flatly, looking at them both. “I’m the one that has to deal with these people.”

“No one’s going to kill anyone,” Ichigo sighed, “Because then they’ll haunt you. And that’ll be annoying.”

Karin scrunched her nose. She looked adorable, though Ichigo would never tell her that. She’d never take it lying down. “Killing someone twice does seem like too much effort.”

“Can you even kill a spirit?” Yuzu asked curiously. She couldn’t see spirits.

Or, well, _human_ spirits. She had too much reiatsu to _not_ see spirits, which was why they figured she could see different things. Not that there was anything in Karakura to really _see_ , according to Yuzu.

“Probably,” Ichigo said, shrugging. “Although I don’t know what would happen to them afterwards.”

“Huh,” Yuzu said, going silent and looking pensive. Whoops.

“You’re too young to be a mad scientist,” Ichigo said, rubbing Yuzu’s hair. “Wait to those kinds of things until you’re thirteen. At least.” He looked at Karin, eyebrow raised. “You too. No murders, experiments, or anything that can be tried under Japanese law until you’re both teenagers. Or, better yet, past high school.”

Because education was important. Ichigo would never decide for either Yuzu or Karin what to do with their lives. That didn’t mean that he’d let them do _anything_ they absolutely wanted, either. At least until they became legal adults.

“Yeah, yeah,” Karin rolled her eyes. “Being a serial killer sounds like too much effort, anyways.”

“I’ll be good, Onii-chan!” Yuzu assured.

Sometimes Ichigo wondered if they were crazy, to talk about life and death so casually. Then he’d imagine Uryū rolling his eyes at his dramatics and figure that as long as he had good company, it’d be fine.

The rest of the walk to the elementary school passed quietly. Despite Ichigo’s misgivings that morning, it was a beautiful day. Even this early in the morning, he could tell that it would be enjoyable.

Maybe he’d go and visit that little girl today.

“Good-bye, Onii-chan!” Yuzu said, “Have a nice day at school!”

“See you,” Karin added.

“Yeah, yeah. Be good, okay?” Ichigo said, rubbing his hands through their hair. Karin made a show of swatting his hand away, but he knew better.

Once the twins were safely inside the school gates, Ichigo left. A couple of the other students who saw him smiled and waved. Ichigo smiled when he waved back. Most of them recognized him as Yuzu and Karin’s older brother, so they knew he was safe. That he would protect them.

It was something that Ichigo delighted in, and it never failed to make his day.

“Kurosaki!” someone yelled sometime on Ichigo’s trek to the high school.

He thought about it. _Nah. Not happening._ Ichigo had enough to worry about today without some random thugs trying to ruin whatever happiness he got by being around his sisters, and the kids at the elementary school.

“What do you want?” Ichigo asked, still walking. They’d either catch up or be left behind.

“You messed with the wrong crowd, yesterday, you punk!” they said again.

Ichigo blinked. “Uh, who?” he asked, because he genuinely didn’t remember. Not that he was paying enough attention to _these_ guys to remember them. Too many people fought him over his hair for Ichigo to pay any particular attention.

Seriously. His mother was a quarter _German_. So a quirk of genetics left him with bright red hair and freckles? It wasn’t _that_ interesting. And it had precedent, too. Ichigo remembered his mother having the prettiest brown hair. And in the summer, it would start gaining red highlights.

There was a roar of outrage behind him. Ichigo sighed and ducked, bringing his elbow backwards. It hit someone in the gut and they let out a grunt of pain. Ichigo continued moving forward, throwing anyone tried tackling him to the ground.

They never learned. Ichigo wasn’t even _trying_.

“Are you guys done?” Ichigo asked, glancing behind him. Oh. They were all on the ground now. “I guess you are,” he said.

The rest of the walk to school was peaceful. Or, as peaceful as it ever got. None of the thugs even pulled a knife on him today!

_A good morning,_ Ichigo thought.

“Ah, good morning, Kurosaki-kun!” Inoue greeted.

“Oh, hey Inoue,” Ichigo returned, smiling at her when they met up with each other. “I keep on forgetting that you live in this area.”

“It’s because I spend so much time at your house!” Inoue said cheerfully. “I saw those people attacking you. Are you okay?”

Ichigo snorted. “I’m fine. They didn’t even have a knife on them.”

Inoue looked curious. “Really? The ladies that keep trying to attack Tatsuki-chan learned that they should at _least_ bring a knife earlier this year.”

“I guess I beat one of them up yesterday?” Ichigo offered. “But they went down so easy that I’m not sure I’d remember if my life depended on it.”

“Yeah! You’re throws were very beautifully done, by the way,” Inoue said.

Ichigo flushed. He always did when someone he knew was good at what they did complimented him.

Tatsuki may have been the one to start training Inoue, but _she_ was the one that decided to follow Judo. Ichigo and Tatsuki would beat Inoue in a straight fight, as Inoue’s gentle heart made it hard for her to move offensively, but she didn’t reach black belt by being _lazy_.

“Thanks,” Ichigo said.

“No problem!” Inoue said. “Oh yeah, Tatsuki-chan texted me. She said she forgot her lunch!”

“She did,” Ichigo confirmed. “Yuzu packed her and Chad’s lunch today.”

“Oh!” Inoue nodded, “Tomorrow it’s my turn to cook for Sado-kun, right?”

“Yup,” Ichigo said. “As spicy as you can make it.”

“Always!” Inoue said. “I love cooking for Sado-kun! He’s the only one that appreciates the _fire_.”

“I’ve no idea why you like your food that hot,” Ichigo said.

“You guys are just weak,” Inoue sniffed imperiously.

Ichigo and Inoue bantered the rest of the way to school. Tatsuki was the one that had brought Inoue into the Kurosaki family fold, and Inoue fit perfectly. It seemed that all of the strange ones with crazy ideas about life tended to flock together.

Not that Ichigo was complaining. If he was surrounded by _normal_ people he’d have gone crazy from boredom.

“You are miraculously not late,” Uryū said by way of greeting when they reached homeroom. He didn’t even raise his head from his sewing, the asshole. “Did you even get attacked today?”

“Good morning to you too,” Ichigo said and rolled his eyes.

“Oh, Kurosaki-kun got jumped!” Inoue assured. “They just weren’t very good.”

“That’s nice to hear,” Uryū said. He still wasn’t looking up from his work. “I was afraid that I ended up in a parallel dimension by accident.”

“I’d think you figure that out very quickly, Ishida-kun,” Inoue said.

“Thank you,” Uryū said. And then he _finally_ looked up. “Good morning, Inoue-san.”

“Good morning, Ishida-kun!” Inoue returned brightly.

“Fuck you,” Ichigo said when he sat down. Uryū just smirked at him.

“Good morning,” Chad rumbled quietly not a second later. His arrival stopped Ichigo from hitting Uryū upside the head.

_Dammit_. Uryū was better at sensing presences than Ichigo was. He definitely planned that.

Wait, no, Ichigo didn’t care. He still hit Uryū upside the head. Uryū frowned at him.

“Morning,” Ichigo said, smiling at Chad. He held out his fist, which Chad gracefully turned into a fist bump. “You get jumped today too?”

“Yes,” Chad says, sitting down. “None of them had a weapon.”

Ichigo whistled. “It seems like today is the day for useless fighters. None of the people that tried jumping me had anything, either.”

“They didn’t even try attacking him differently!” Inoue said, looking very much like a disappointed parent. “Why would you all tackle someone that already showed he could use their momentum against them?”

“Because they’re all idiots, that’s why,” Tatsuki said, stomping into the room. Her hair was still wet from the shower she had taken. “Why did I fucking even _take_ a shower? Have some training after school too,” she muttered.

“Because it’s better than coming to school covered in sweat,” Ichigo assured. “Here. You forgot your lunch.” Ichigo handed it over.

“Thanks,” Tatsuki said, putting it in her desk.

“Yuzu made lunch for you too, Chad,” Ichigo said.

Chad blinked but took the bento box gratefully. No sign of protest, even partially. Ichigo refrained from smiling. He knew that Yuzu was scary but it was always gratifying to see other people handling her.

“Thank her for me, please,” Chad said.

“You can always tell her yourself, you know,” Tatsuki said. She leaned back and put her feet in Ichigo’s lap. Her recent growth spurt made her legs long enough to do that. “The twins adore you. They’ll be happier if you visit more often.”

“I don’t wish to intrude,” Chad said.

Uryū snorted. “If you don’t, they’ll resort to kidnapping you.”

“Thanks,” Ichigo said dryly. “Kidnapping him will be harder now.”

“I can carry him!” Inoue offered. _Ha._ Inoue totally _could_ , which was the best part.

“Yeah, but no really,” Ichigo said. “You really should come around more often. Your apartment is nice and all, but it must suck living by yourself.”

It’d also help them make sure that Chad was getting at least one good meal a day while he looked for another job. He could handle himself pretty well, but Ichigo would worry less.

Of course, having Chad around more often would be great, too.

Chad paused, even though he looked amused by their conversation. “Yeah, okay.”

Ichigo grinned. “Great.”

Their homeroom teacher came in not soon after, looking at Ichigo’s group with a practiced glare. Eh, Ichigo had known her for awhile. She wasn’t as much of a hardass as she liked to pretend.

School was a great distraction from his thoughts. Ichigo didn’t like sitting down for long periods of time, but learning things was something he was invested in. For one, new knowledge was always great. For another, the process kept him distracted from overthinking after his mother’s death.

Of course, Ichigo could distract himself, but he’d never be able to _lie_ to himself.

Nor would he be able to lie to his friends.

“Okay,” Tatsuki said when they all sat on the roof for lunch. Uryū, Inoue, and Chad both looked at him, too. Even Mizuiro and _Keigo_ looked concerned. “Spill.”

“Spill what?” Ichigo blinked.

“You’ve been off since this morning,” Uryū said. “ _Obviously_ something happened.”

Ichigo paused. “Ah, nothing _happened_ , technically… but I feel like something is _going_ to happen.”

Uryū sighed. “Of course it is,” he said.

“Do you have any idea?” Inoue asked, concerned.

“No,” Ichigo said, and ran a hand through his hair. “It’ll happen though. Probably in my bedroom, because that’s just how my life works.”

“Of course you’d jinx yourself,” Uryū said. Smirked. The asshole.

“If none of us are there, you’d better tell us,” Tatsuki said.

Ichigo snorted, “When would I never?”

“Never,” Chad agreed.

“Oh, you’d better not,” Uryū said.

Tatsuki hummed. “Okay, we got that out of the way. What is everyone doing after school today?”

“I was planning on visiting Naomi,” Ichigo said.

Little Naomi, dead for the past two years. He’d found her soon after her death, checking to see if her spirit had stayed or moved on. Since she was still there, he’d taken to visiting her every so often.

Uryū frowned. “I’d join you, but I have work today.”

“Is Naomi-chan any closer to moving on?” Inoue asked.

Ichigo shook his head. “Not that we’re aware of. Apparently she’s sticking around because she wants to look after her little brother.”

“Well, that sucks,” Tatsuki said. “I’ll go and get her some new flowers when I’m not so busy.”

“Oh, me too!” Inoue offered.

“Yeah, she’d like that,” Ichigo said, smiling.

\--------------------------------------------------

The flowers that Ichigo had left Naomi the last time he was here were knocked over when he got there.

“Onee-chan?” Naomi said, blinking up at him.

“Hey, Naomi,” Ichigo said. He was angry, and his control was terrible enough that Naomi likely felt it.

“Are you okay?” Naomi asked.

“I should be the one asking you,” Ichigo said. “Who were the ones that knocked your offering over?”

“Those guys,” Naomi said, pointing behind Ichigo.

She said it so nonchalantly. Ichigo, for a quick second, silently marveled at how vicious all the women in his life could be. And then he turned around.

Skateboarders, the bunch of them. Not very good ones, either. None of them looked particularly smart. Even now they were careless in where they went.

“Idiots,” Ichigo grumbled.

“Onee-chan,” Naomi said blinking guilelessly up at him, “Can you scare them away?”

Ichigo glanced at her. “Yeah, sure.”

And, because these were idiots who likely wouldn’t realize what happened until it had already finished, Ichigo announced his presence by taking one of the down. The guy landed on the ground with a satisfying _thud_ , blood leaking from his mouth.

“Why don’t you guys get the fuck outta here?” Ichigo said, voice dropping. He made sure that his face was stony, broadcasting sheer irritation.

“What the-” one of the thugs shouted, looking between the bloodied guy on the ground and Ichigo.

“You! You suddenly appear and take out Yama, and then you tell us to _leave_?” another shouted.

“Do you want to die?!” the last shouted.

Ichigo just stared them all down. He scratched behind his ear, utterly bored by their yelling. They always shouted the same thing with no variety. Ichigo could probably recite everything they said.

Finally, the got bored of posturing. One thug ran at him, yelling, “Say something, you-”

Ichigo lifted his leg and watched with satisfaction that the thug ran face first into his foot. His hips strained as the impact pushed his leg closer to his chest, but nothing Ichigo wasn’t used to.

He was viciously pleased when the guy fell to the ground in a heap. Pity that his nose didn’t look broken. Well, at least that was one person to make less noise, even if the mess he made was a problem.

Oh, wait, the other guys were babbling. Something about dying…? Ichigo couldn’t help but snort. Accusing _him_ of irrational violence? What hypocrites.

“Shut up!” Ichigo snapped. He used the downed guy’s head as a footrest. “Look over there!”

“Wha-”

“Question one!” Ichigo demanded, pointing to Naomi’s offering. This was amusing, though he didn’t have to fake his anger. “You! The skinny looking one! What does that look like?”

The guy had the gall to look _meek_. “A-an offering to the kid who died here?”

Irritated, Ichigo knocked the guy out with a roundhouse kick. “Good answer!”

Then the remaining two guys started worrying over _that_ one. What the hell was his name anyways? Ichigo didn’t even care, but that cutesy nickname wasn’t helping any. Seriously, these guys.

“Question two!” Ichigo demanded, bringing their attention back to him. He dropped his voice to a calmer tone. “Why is the offering knocked over?”

“That’s because…” the guy that spoke trails off and glances at the others. Wait. Did he have to _think_ about it? “We knocked it over… skateboarding?”

“I see,” Ichigo said flatly.

This was the part that would be tricky, and required Naomi’s help. She had already drifted over to hover behind his shoulder, which was good.

Ichigo had enough reiatsu to do this. He didn’t have the necessary control to _hide_ his spiritual presence from anyone, but he could move it to form _spells_. The bigger ones were the easiest, because it was just shoving his energy into an _idea_ that Ichigo wanted to happen. Smaller ones required much more finesse, and therefore more time.

This one was _easy_ compared to the other spells that Ichigo could do. Everyone had spiritual energy because it was, simply, a facet of existence. Few people just had enough to _see_ everything that existed, and spiritual beings generally didn’t have enough energy to be seen properly. But that didn’t mean that they didn’t have it, nor that they couldn’t do it.

So Ichigo just shoved reiatsu at Naomi. It wasn’t an attack, so it did no damage. And since Naomi was willing, and had requested help, Ichigo’s reiatsu did what he wanted it to do.

“Then shouldn’t you apologize to _her_?” Ichigo demanded, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at Naomi. He was immediately gratified to hear them all shriek in terror at her appearance.

A child covered in blood was horrifying to witness.

As they babbled horrified apologies and promises never to do it again as they sprinted away as fast as possible, Ichigo let Naomi fade from physical view. At least they had the sense to grab their fallen friends and drag them with them.

Ichigo sighed, “If we scared them that much, they probably won’t be coming back again.”

Naomi drifted past his shoulder to hover in front of them. She clasped her hands behind her back.

“I’m sorry I had to use you like that,” Ichigo said. Naomi was willing, and trusted him, but that didn’t mean being used in a spell was _comfortable_ in any manner. He was only certain that it didn’t hurt.

Naomi shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’m the one that asked, so I should be willing to help at least that much.”

Ichigo looked at the sky, and then at his watch. “Oh, shit, I’m going to be late. I’ll bring you a new offering again soon, okay?”

“Okay!” Naomi said cheerfully. “Thanks, Onee-chan.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ichigo said, patting Naomi on her head. He felt the blood stick to his hand, but knew from experience that it wasn’t actually there. “Hurry up and move on, will you?” he teased.

“Good night, Onee-chan!” Naomi called as Ichigo walked off.

It was already almost seven. Considering Ichigo was going to be late _anyways_ , and his father would try attacking him no matter what, he decided that he’d enjoy the walk back home. It was a beautiful day, and there really was no reason to go any faster than he needed to.

Ichigo did talk with another couple of spirits on his way home. Karakura was a hotbed for spiritual energy, so spirits tended to stick around more often. Most of them managed to move on not too soon after they died, but there were others that had been around since _before_ Ichigo was born.

It didn’t take long for Ichigo make it home. He ignored the clinic entrance, which had a CLOSED sign posted over the glass window and went for the side door.

“I’m home!” Ichigo called.

And then he ducked as Isshin attempted to kick his head off of his shoulders.

“You’re late, you ungrateful son of mine!” Isshin bellowed, pointing at Ichigo.

“Don’t try to kick my head off when I get through the door and I wouldn’t have to be ungrateful, you shitty father!” Ichigo yelled right back.

That sparked some irritation in Isshin. There was half a second of blessed calm and then- well, it devolved into a brawl. Because Isshin was a child, and Ichigo tended to feed off that energy.

“Onii-chan! Otou-san!” Yuzu said.

Ichigo _stopped_. He got a fist to his jaw for his trouble, but he did! Isshin took a second longer to register that Yuzu had spoken.

“Yes, my adorable and flawless daughter?” Isshin asked. Ichigo would reply, but he _was_ just punched in the jaw.

“Dinner is ready. Please let Onii-chan up,” Yuzu said.

Isshin scrambled to get off of Ichigo, and then sat at the table. Ichigo rubbed his jaw as he sat up, frowning. Nothing was fractured, and it wouldn’t even bruise that baldy. Eh, not the worst fight Ichigo and Isshin had gotten in.

“You okay, Ichi-nii?” Karin asked. Neither twin had bothered to wait for them to sit at the table before eating.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Ichigo rolled his shoulders and then sat down.

Dinner was, as always, a lively affair. Ichigo tried to get Karin to emote, and Yuzu tried to keep the peace. Hard on both, counts, really, but it was the routine that they were all used to.

“Um. Onii-chan?” Yuzu said, frowning half-way through the meal.

“Yeah?” Ichigo asked, looking up.

“You’ve got another ghost,” Karin said, pointing her chopsticks at it. “Kind of pathetic looking, too.”

Ichigo sighed and looked over his shoulder. “What the hell, dude? Go away! We’re eating!” Ichigo said, trying to push the ghost off. What was so unique about his spiritual energy that spirits stuck to him like glue? They didn’t do that to Uryū!

_‘It’s because you have really bad control, Ichigo,’_ the Uryū of his head said. Even in Ichigo’s head he was an asshole. Correct, of course, but _still_!

This ghost did look pathetic. It wasn’t that he was wearing a suit and the nerdiest glasses Ichigo had ever seen, either. It was just that he was curled in on himself, what solid lines he had were squiggly, and how nervous he looked.

“But you can see me! That means you can help, right?” he wailed. He didn’t even have the arms to rub his hands together.

“No, I can’t,” Ichigo said, frowning. “Go _away_ ,” he said. And then blinked when the ghost did just that. Huh. Well, at least he wasn’t there to bother him anymore.

“You got rid of him?” Yuzu asked. She squinted, trying to see. “I can’t hear him, anymore.”

“Yeah,” Ichigo said.

“He’ll be back, I bet,” Karin muttered. “They never stay away.”

“Unfortunately,” Ichigo agreed.

Isshin looked so sad to be left out. Ichigo paid him no mind. He had always expressed sadness that he couldn’t see what Masaki and Ichigo saw.

“I’ve got homework,” Ichigo said after dinner was done. “Thank you for the food.”

“Good night, Onii-chan!” Yuzu said, waving cheerfully. “Otou-san, can you help me with the dishes?”

Ichigo left them to it. Isshin was always energetic and willing to help whenever they asked for it. Yuzu was the only one that regularly asked for help is all.

Halfway through his English homework, a black butterfly fluttered into his room.

The butterfly was unlike anything that he’d ever seen. The black looked like it was absorbing light from its surroundings. Delicate purple patterns adorned it, thin spirals that almost formed kanji. It shimmered, and looked like gossamer had been spun into something very, very inhuman.

Ichigo blinked at it, and rubbed at his eyes. Looking too hard at the butterfly hurt.

And then a spirit walked through his bedroom wall.

They had obviously been following the butterfly, but for what reason Ichigo couldn’t tell. They wore almost entirely black, with only their visible under clothes being white.

The sword at their waist was the most interesting part.

The spirit didn’t even acknowledge him. They kept walking through his room, muttering to themselves. And obviously, they knew that they were intruding, because they were able to maneuver through his room with ease.

Ichigo frowned, and then stood up. “Hey, what are you doing?” he asked. Because if they were in _his room_ then something was up.

His room. Ichigo refrained from cursing at his ceiling. Dammit! He _knew_ something like this would happen!

The spirit was ignoring him. Which had never happened before. Ichigo would normally be really quite happy if a spirit didn’t bother him, but these were extraneous circumstances.

“Oi!” Ichigo said. “I said, _what are you doing?_ ” And then he kicked the spirit on the backside. They were very small compared to him, so even that sent them sprawling forward.

“Wha-” the spirit stuttered, and then turned to look at him. Wait, no, not at him. Around him. “What happened?”

“I kicked you,” Ichigo said flatly.

“You?” the spirit sat up straight, staring at him in shock. “You can _see_ me?”

“Yes,” Ichigo said, glaring. “What are you doing?”

“You shouldn’t be able to see me,” the spirit said, still staring.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before. I’ll ask again. What are you doing here?”

“I am a shinigami!” the spirit said. Ichigo immediately hated shinigami, because honestly, that _tone_. This spirit would make Uryū look humble.

Wait, bad comparison. Uryū was proud of his heritage, same as Ichigo was. That didn’t mean that Uryū thought he was better than anyone else. No matter how he acted at times.

“Really,” Ichigo said flatly.

“Yes,” the spirit-- shinigami-- said, nodding. “I came from the Soul Society on a mission to exterminate an evil spirit.”

“Okay,” Ichigo said, nodding in return. “I don’t believe you.”

“What?” the shinigami said, looking dumbfounded.

Ichigo rolled his eyes again. “I have never seen you, or _shinigami_ before. And I’ve been able to see spirits my entire life. I tend not to believe anything delusional spirits say, especially not ones that _trespass_.”

“You!” the shinigami said. Oh, now they looked offended. And with their offense, Ichigo felt the rise in spiritual power. _Oh, shit_. “Bakudo, Number One! _Sai_!”

Ichigo felt the spirit’s energy wrap around him. His arms snapped behind him, held together by what felt like invisible rope. His legs felt immobilized as well. And then Ichigo fell to the ground.

Spells. This spirit had enough energy to cast _spells_? Different types of spirits had different levels of energy. But never had Ichigo met one that could cast _spells_ before.

“Do you believe me now?” the shinigami said, smirking. Either Uryū and this spirit would get along infamously or hate each other on sight. “Only a shinigami can use that technique.”

Ichigo was used to binding spells being used on him. Uncle Ryūken was a vicious taskmaster, back when he used to teach them. Uryū took up the slack now that they were teenagers. So Ichigo used his spiritual energy to feel at the shinigami’s spell, looking for its weakness.

Huh. The spell _felt_ weak, like twine against his skin. Did they rank their spells with numbers? Number one for a really weak spell? Either way, Ichigo could tell that he would be able to break free with some judicious use of spiritual energy and some brute force.

“Unfortunately, there are Laws in place that prevent me from killing a human without permission,” the shinigami said, pouting as if truly were something they regretted not being able to do.

The shinigami then pulled their sword from its sheathe, and reached forward to press the tip of its hilt. Ichigo held still, but ready to break free. Just because the shinigami said that they couldn’t kill him didn’t mean that they couldn’t hurt him.

But the shinigami wasn’t reaching for Ichigo, they were reaching for the spirit attached to him. Ichigo frowned as a sigil appeared on that pathetic ghosts forehead. He didn’t like the guy but he didn’t want anything to _happen_ to him.

“I…” the ghost stuttered, tears forming. “I don’t wanna go to hell…”

“You aren’t going to hell,” the shinigami said. Ichigo was more dumbfounded by the fact that the shinigami was capable of smiling kindly than what was going on right next to him. “I am sending you to Soul Society. It is a peaceful place.”

The sigil then warped the spirit. Solid, if squiggly, lines started fading. Then the sigil started _pulling_ , and like a vacuum, pulled the spirit into it.

It turned into a black butterfly.

The butterfly started flapping its wings, and slowly, fluttered away. Rather than simply heading out the window like before, it… sparkled. The gossamer started sparkling, like diamonds. And then it just… disappeared.

Ichigo stared. “What was that?” he asked, voice quiet from surprise.

“A Soul Burial,” the shinigami said, sheathing their sword. “It is one of my duties as a shinigami. Humans call it ‘moving on’ from what I’ve been able to gather.”

“Not all spirits stay around,” Ichigo replied automatically. And these shinigami couldn’t be _grim reapers_ , who wait by people’s bedsides to take their souls. For one, he’d have remembered seeing them.

“No, they don’t,” the shinigami said, looking at him in surprise. “Those that move on immediately after death arrive in the Soul Society on their own. Those that stay after death require some help. And… those that stay for too long turn _bad_.”

Did she mean hollows? “Bad?” Ichigo asked.

Suddenly, the shinigami sat, and pulled out a sketchbook and a marker. Ichigo didn’t even _want_ to know where those came from. It sure wasn’t from their person.

“It’s like this,” the shinigami said as they started to draw. “There are two types of spirits here in the World of the Living. The first we call _plus_ , which are simply spirits that have yet to move on. They are the ghosts that you normally see. The second type we call _hollow_. They’re evil spirits, and they attack both the living and the dead to eat their souls.”

The shinigami turned their sketchbook to Ichigo.

Honestly… “That is a horrible drawing,” Ichigo said. “Cute, really, but you’re using the same figure for both the _plus_ and the _hollow_ , and it’s only that smiley face that helps me tell them apart.”

Karin would be horrified. Contrary to how she acted, she adored cute things. But this type of style wasn’t good for a presentation. At least, not without some better symbols.

The shinigami stared, looking somewhere between horrified and confused at his explanation. What, were they only used to people insulting their work?

Of course they had to draw a fucking mustache on. The shinigami had the gall to look utterly pleased with themselves, too, as if Ichigo wasn’t tied up on the floor.

“Shinigami have two duties,” they said, looking completely regal. And as if they hadn’t just drawn on Ichigo’s face. “The first is the Soul Burial, which you have already seen. The second is to exterminate hollows, which is why I am here in the first place.”

Hollows? _Here_??? “Why are you here, then, wasting your time? Why haven’t you gone to take it out?” Ichigo asked. Because if there were any hollows nearby, Ichigo would _know_. He and Uryū had set up several wards that alerted them to any hollow presence.

The shinigami frowned, looking both sheepish and pensive. “Because, fool, for some reason I am no longer able to sense it. A strange power has been making it hard for me to sense anything, really.”

It was then that Ichigo heard the _scream_. He felt frozen on the inside. That was a hollow screech. That… shouldn’t be possible. Ichigo would have _known_ if a hollow got that close!

“...what was that?” Ichigo asked. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” the shinigami asked. They stiffened not even a second later. “That was a hollow scream!” they said, standing up. “How were you able to hear it before me?”

And then Yuzu screamed.

“Yuzu!” Ichigo yelled.

The shinigami sprinted out of the room, drawing their sword as they did. Ichigo didn’t care. He started breaking the spell. It broke quickly, desperation making his spiritual energy work faster than it normally would.

“Dammit!” Ichigo swore, running after the shinigami. _Yuzu. Karin_.

He found Karin at the top of the stairs.

“Ichi-nii?” Karin whispered, looking up at him.

Her side was torn open.

“Karin,” Ichigo said, kneeling.

He placed his hand on her side, and gently fed her spiritual energy. It wasn’t a proper healing energy, nor was it a proper transfer. But, this was his _sister_. Karin took it gratefully and the bleeding slowed down. It wouldn’t last long, but it’d keep her stable until they could get proper medical attention.

“So-something attacked us,” Karin said. “It was… invisible. I couldn’t see it! And then it. Then it attacked Yuzu and Goat-Face. I ca-came to get you.”

“Shh,” Ichigo said. “I’ll deal with it, okay?”

“Okay,” Karin said. “That spirit with the sword went downstairs.”

“Yeah,” Ichigo said. He patted her hair. He didn’t know if it was to comfort Karin or comfort him.

Ichigo quickly made sure she was comfortable, and then ran downstairs. He didn’t have his bow with him, but that _had_ to be fine. He had his fists and his feet and whatever was still downstairs. Nothing in this building was useful as a spiritual weapon, but they had still existed in the same space as three spiritually aware beings. That would help.

His father was unconscious downstairs, and there was a hole in the side of the building. Thankfully not in the clinic where there would be so much stuff they’d need to replace, but in their living room wall.

Ichigo checked over his father, finding only one large bruise along his forehead. There were scrapes along his arms, but those might have been from their brawl earlier. Nothing to worry about.

He looked up when a shadow was cast over the floor.

_Hollow_. The first thing that he saw was the bone white of the spirit. The second was its sheer size. It was easily twice the height of Ichigo, even slumped forwards as it was.

And then he noticed that it was holding onto Yuzu.

There was a baseball bat in his hands, and Ichigo was rushing forwards before registering it. He brought the bat around and hit the hollow in the side. It grunted but it didn’t let go.

A large hand threw Ichigo backwards. He watched as that same hand came forward, ready to hit him. He scrambled to get up, but before he could move away, the shinigami came.

They brought their sword around, cutting everything below the elbow off. It didn’t bleed, but the hollow roared with pain.

The hollow dropped Yuzu. Ichigo managed to catch her, and then scrambled away from where the hollow and the shinigami were fighting.

“Yuzu, hey,” Ichigo murmured, pressing a hand to her cheek. He closed his eyes and _felt_ , poking at her spiritual energy with his own. He sighed in relief when he sensed nothing wrong. She was just unconscious, then.

Ichigo carefully placed Yuzu on the ground. She’d be fine, here. And then he stood and grabbed the baseball bat.

Hollows went after those with strong spiritual energy. He and Uryū had placed wards around so that whatever energy that Ichigo and his sisters released would be dispersed evenly into the air. It wouldn’t work a set distance from the house, but it was the best that they could do.

Ichigo didn’t know why the wards didn’t warn him that a hollow was nearby. But that didn’t matter, now. There was a hollow _here_ , and it had attacked his _family_. Just for that, Ichigo would kill it.

The baseball bat was just a regular baseball bat. But Ichigo was _Kurosaki_ , and he knew how to make any weapon work for him. He would have been able to destroy the hollow with one hit if he had his bow, but he didn’t. He had the baseball bat, and he had his energy.

The shinigami was facing them, looking concerned for Yuzu. Before Ichigo could run ahead, he saw the hollow’s arm grow back. _What?_

“Look out!” Ichigo shouted. The shinigami hadn’t been paying attention. _Why hadn’t they been paying attention?_

The hollow smacked the shinigami, and they hit the wall with a resounding thud. The force was enough to actually crack the concrete.

Ichigo frowned, and ran forward, bringing his baseball bat up. It cracked against the hollow’s arm. The bat broke, splintering in half, but at least the hollow roared in pain too. Ichigo smirked before the other arm came around and smacked him backwards.

Ichigo spun on the road, but managed to twist himself upright, his shoes skidding as he came to a stop. He stopped in front of Yuzu, who was awake now, and watching him blearily.

“Onii-chan?” Yuzu whispered.

“Hey,” Ichigo replied, smiling as comfortingly as he could despite the hollow.

He could tell that the hollow was getting ready to charge at them. Ichigo refused to move. He might die, but he’d never let anything happen to his sisters.

He brought up the broken handle of the baseball bat. It was next to useless now, but any weapon was better than none. Ichigo grinned, and crouched. There was no fucking way that he’d die without a fight.

“You… want my soul, right?” Ichigo said when the hollow was standing above them. He saw it lick what passed for its lips. “Then _try to fucking take it!”_

The hollow lunged forward. Ichigo clenched his fist, and felt his spiritual energy rise up with his emotions. Would it be enough? _Who knows_ but like hell if Ichigo wasn’t trying.

The hollow’s mouth widened as it prepared to eat Ichigo.

The hollow wrapped around a body.

It wasn’t Ichigo.

It was the shinigami.

Ichigo watched, wide eyed, as the shinigami allowed themselves to be bitten in place of Ichigo. The hollow fell backwards, not expecting that, giving both Ichigo and the shinigami some space.

“You! Why-”

“You idiot,” the shinigami rasped, staring him in the eye. They fell to the ground, and blood pooled around their body. Wait, when were spirits able to bleed? “Do you think your power was enough to defeat it?”

Ichigo refrained from snorting. He wasn’t about to explain that if he had his bow, then yes, he would have been able to defeat it. “I’m sorry,” he said, though. Because the shinigami had taken the blow meant for _him_.

“Don’t worry about it,” the shinigami said, managing to prop themselves on their forearms. “Unfortunately… I am unable to fight.”

“Wait, wait,” Ichigo said. He glanced at Yuzu, who smiled. Even like this she knew exactly what Ichigo wanted to do. “Here, let me-” Ichigo started, and then kneeled next to the shinigami.

“All we can do now is… wait. Until we become its food,” the shinigami said. They smiled assuringly at Ichigo like that was perfectly okay.

What. The fuck.

Ichigo snarled at the shinigami, and then placed his hands along their arms. Their energies were too different for this to really work, and Ichigo wasn’t much of a healer anyways, but damn if he’d let the shinigami just _give up_.

That kind of shit always pissed him off!

The shinigami looked at him as he tried his best to transfer his energy over. They probably didn’t even know what he was doing. They probably thought that he was just trying in his human way to stop their bleeding. Let them think that. Ichigo was at least _doing_ something!

“Do you,” the shinigami breathed lightly, “want to save your family?”

“Is that even a _fucking question_?” Ichigo demanded. “Wait. There’s a way for me to fight? Tell me!”

The shinigami pulled themselves up, blood still dripping from their side. They turned their attention back to the hollow. “There is one way… or, perhaps there is only _one_ way.”

“What?” Ichigo asked. He watched as the shinigami moved until they were sitting, breathing heavily.

“You,” the shinigami said. Then they swung their sword around so that the tip was sitting over Ichigo’s chest. “Become a _shinigami_.”

“What.” Ichigo said. Because, seriously. _What_?

“Your heart is a center of spiritual energy,” the shinigami said, “If you pierce your chest with this _zanpakutō,_ then I can transfer half of my power to you. And with the temporary power of a shinigami, then you’ll have the power to fight the hollow.”

Ichigo could kill the damned thing _without_ shinigami powers, but he absolutely did not have the time to go and fetch his bow. But, to _transfer_ your power…?

“Is it really okay to do something like this?” Ichigo asked. The hollow looked ready to start attacking again.

“I don’t know,” the shinigami admitted. “And the percentage of success is not even close to one hundred percent. Still, it’s the only way! And there is no time for second guessing!”

“...Onii-chan,” Yuzu whispered from behind them. Ichigo turned to her. She was staring at him, eyes hazy. She was terrible at seeing spirits, but she could hear them just fine. “Onii-chan, you have to… run…”

To get his bow? To get help? He could. And yes, Uryū and Uncle Ryūken would be able to help. But Ichigo simply didn’t have the _time_.

And why was she worrying about _him_ when she was the one injured? Karin, too, having dragged herself to come reach him. Why? He was their older brother. It was _his_ job to look after them.

Ha. Made him look all stupid, hesitating.

“Shinigami!” Ichigo said, “Give me that sword of yours. Nothing’s going to happen if we don’t at least _try_.”

The shinigami looked up at him, having managed to lean against the wall. That smile was… kind. Honest. “It is not _shinigami_. My name is Kuchiki Rukia.”

Ichigo stared, and then smiled. “I see. Well then, Rukia. I’m Kurosaki Ichigo. Let’s hope that this isn’t our _last_ meeting, yeah?”

The hollow roared, likely having sensed that its prey was deciding to fight back. And then it got ready to charge.

“Hurry, it’s coming!” Rukia said.

They held out their sword. Ichigo wrapped his hands around the hilt. The sword-- the zanpakutō-- was short enough that even like this, the tip of the blade didn’t touch his skin.

The hollow continued to roar.

Ichigo and Rukia stared at each other. Ichigo was going to be stabbed. Rukia was going to stab him. Something like this would normally kill him, and Ichigo figured that they both needed a moment to prepare themselves.

“Let’s do this,” Ichigo said.

“...Yeah,” Rukia said.

The hollow started charging.

Ichigo _pulled_ the sword, and Rukia pushed, and then-

There was a sword in Ichigo’s chest.

It was in that brief moment of time before the pain hit that Ichigo catalogued several different things. Blood welled up around the sword, and he could feel it along his back. Rukia looked shocked, as if they were surprised they actually stabbed him. He noticed that there was a small scrape on the back of his left hand, probably from his brawl with his father. The smell of dinner still hung lightly in the air, along with the dust from the hole in their living room wall. The sun was cool, and the clouds were a startling shade of red.

It hurt, for a second. Ichigo figured that was to be expected with the whole _sword in chest_ thing.

And then-

Ichigo felt his spiritual energy pour outwards with no direction. It felt like it was being _pulled_ outwards. His heart started to beat wildly and Ichigo could feel his heartbeat in his ear.

A foreign spiritual energy surrounded Ichigo. Distantly, he heard a woman scream. In pain, in sorrow, and in confusion. Mostly pain. _Lady, I feel you_.

Rukia? Ichigo felt that this was Rukia, somehow. Strange that he hadn’t recognized their spiritual energy immediately. He didn’t have the strongest spiritual sense in the first place…

And then-

Rukia’s spiritual energy is surpassed by his own. His own power surges, bursting around him in a blast. Ha. Uryū would have definitely felt that…

As Ichigo’s spiritual energy pours outwards, the pain disappears. And his power is unlike anything that Ichigo has ever felt before. More than he’s ever _used_ before. Was this his power? He never realized…

Ichigo felt the power wrap around him. It tugged, and then Ichigo felt his clothes _change_. It was instantaneous; Ichigo was in his school uniform, and then he was not. He was dressed in something entirely new. And Ichigo can’t help but feel like a magical girl.

_Hope it’s not too frilly._ Ichigo thought. It was somewhat hysterically.

The spiritual energy started to dissipate. Ichigo felt something _settle_ along his back, and he reached up to find- huh. A sword? He didn’t have a sword. He didn’t even know how to _use_ a sword…

Rukia? Rukia had said that stabbing him would give him shinigami powers. Were their powers tied to their swords? Or was it just them, since they had specifically lent him _their_ power?

Well, it was a weapon. And it could channel spiritual energy, too. _Good._

Ichigo grinned.

He could _see_ the hollow. It looked as if it were moving in slow motion. With ease, he lifted his sword off of his back and then swung it in an arc. The energy still in the air followed that arc, and like a pressure of wind, cut clean through the hollow’s arm.

It was easy, after that, to exterminate the hollow. Wielding a sword this size was easier than Ichigo thought it would be, though he knew that he swung it around with no control whatsoever.

Whatever. It wasn’t as if he was going to be using a sword any longer than this. As long as he killed this hollow he was perfectly fine with swinging the sword around like an oversized baseball bat.

One slice, still overcharged with energy from Ichigo’s magical girl transformation, and then the hollow was cut in half.

Even as the spiritual energy started to settle around him, Ichigo felt himself stagger in place.

Oh.

Well, shit, of course he’d faint. Using an unknown technique-- which that arc of energy flung off of his sword could only be-- without practice before hand? Ichigo remembered how exhausted he’d felt when he first managed to _create_ a bow. And _that_ was with many, many hours spent before hand.

“Good job,” Rukia said quietly from behind Ichigo.

“Yeah,” Ichigo replied. He blinked, and then decided that getting closer to the ground before he face planted was a good idea.

He was on his knees when he lost consciousness.

-

_Ichigo runs, grabbing the baseball bat on his way downstairs. There’s no way that he will let anything happen to his family!_

_Ichigo is too late. He sees them, his family, bloody on the ground. Karin is staring lifelessly at the wall, her wounds fatal. Yuzu’s forehead is cut deeply, blood pooling around her head. Isshin is slouched against the wall, side torn open and a leg bent wrong at the knee._

_Ichigo stares, dropping the baseball bat. He can’t move. He’s frozen to the spot._

_Ichigo says “No.”_

_Ichigo blinks._

_“Onii-chan,” Yuzu says, behind him._

_Ichigo whirls around, eyes wide. His family is there, now. Yuzu, blood still dripping down her chin. Karin, a rib visible on her side. Isshin, who stands on two broken legs._

_They’re all staring at Ichigo._

_“Onii-chan, why didn’t you save us?” Yuzu asks._

_“Ichi-nii, it’s your fault we died.” Karin says._

_“You really are a worthless child,” Isshin says._

_Ichigo shakes his head. “No. No. I didn’t mean to!”_

_“It’s your fault,” Yuzu says._

_Ichigo closes his eyes, and presses his hands to his ears. This isn’t real. This_ can’t _be real!_

_“You didn’t even try,” Karin says._

_“Go away!” Ichigo whispers. He can still hear them clearly, even though his ears are covered. It’s like a stereo in his mind._

_“Your mother would be so disappointed.” Isshin says._

_“No!” Ichigo shouts._

No, she would not!

_Ichigo knows his mother. She would never! She loved him! She loved her family! She would have rather died! She chose to-_

_The voices stop._

_Ichigo warily opens his eyes. His family are still there. They are still staring at him. But they are silent, and unmoving. Actually, they look like statues now. Caricatures of what they were like previously._

_Ichigo uncovers his ears. Then his family crumples to the ground, like their strings were cut. They are still dead, and Ichigo feels like crying._

_Ichigo still can’t move. He wants to go to them. Wants to hold his sisters close. Wants his mother._

_Ichigo starts to cry. Shadows move around him, pressing closer and closer. He can’t find it in himself to be scared. Nothing is worse than this._

_“Onii-chan!” Yuzu shouts._

_Yuzu?_

_Ichigo looks around. Yuzu’s body is there, broken on the ground. But if she’s able to talk, then her spirit must still be around._

_Will she still hate him?_

_Ichigo doesn’t know what he’ll do if Yuzu still hates him._

_“Onii-chan!” Yuzu shouts again._

_Something presses against Ichigo’s shoulder, warm and comfortable. Ichigo feels like he can face Yuzu, a little bit. That pressure remains constant even as Ichigo continues to search the room._

_If Yuzu is here, then maybe Karin and his dad will be here too? Will they accept Ichigo’s apology for not being able to save them?_

_Something hits Ichigo’s shoulder._

_“Onii-chan!” Yuzu shouts. She sounds closer._

_Another punch against his shoulder. Ichigo frowns, and looks, and-_

Ichigo woke up.

Yuzu was standing over him, frowning. She wasn’t hurt. Ichigo breathed in relief.

“Onii-chan, if you don’t get up now, you’ll be late for school!” Yuzu said.

“Yuzu?” Ichigo said, blinking up at her. He didn’t cry, but he felt like it.

“Onii-chan?” Yuzu said. She frowned with worry. “Are you okay?”

Ichigo sat up. “Yeah, just a nightmare,” he said. He made sure to pat Yuzu’s hair. “I’m fine, though. Nothing to worry about.”

Yuzu didn’t look like she believed him. “Okay. But Onii-chan, you still have to get up.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ichigo said. “Give me a few minutes, okay?”

“Okay,” Yuzu said. She still looked worried as she left his room.

Ichigo sighed, and rubbed his hands over his face. He was okay. He wasn’t lying. That nightmare, though? Still rattled him.

He climbed out of bed. He felt sore, for some reason. There was an ache in his chest, as if he’d gotten indigestion. He didn’t eat anything out of the ordinary last night, so why-

_Rukia_.

Ichigo swore under his breath, almost tripping over his pajama pants. He got dressed more quickly than he had in a long while and then ran downstairs.

“Yuzu! Karin!” Ichigo said.

There was a giant hole in the wall. It had been boarded up, somewhat, but that didn’t change the fact that there was a _giant hole in the wall_.

Well, at least that was physical proof that Ichigo _didn’t_ hallucinate what had happened last night.

“Good morning, Ichi-nii,” Karin said, “Strange that I’m up and ready before you.”

“Here, Onii-chan. You have enough time to eat some breakfast,” Yuzu said, shooing him to the dining table.

“Um, why is there a hole in the wall?” Ichigo asked. Because they were acting as if they hadn’t just been attacked by a hollow. _What?_

“Oh, the weirdest thing!” Yuzu said brightly, stepping away when Ichigo dutifully started eating. “A truck crashed into our wall last night. And none of us woke up at all!”

“Yeah. Luckily someone came by and boarded it up,” Karin said. “Goat-Face is just happy that it didn’t hit the clinic.”

Ichigo stared. “A truck?” he asked. No, it was that hollow. Ichigo rubbed at his eyes, wondering if last night was just a terrible dream. His sisters didn’t look hurt whatsoever.

No. It couldn’t have been. That blood had been too real.

“Onii-chan?” Yuzu asked. She and Karin were looking at him now. “Onii-chan, it wasn’t a truck, was it?”

Ichigo shook his head. “I… I’m just confused. I remember what happened last night, but all of a sudden you don’t? Does Dad know?”

“Goat-Face thought it was a truck, just like we did,” Karin said.

“Well, shit,” Ichigo said. “I don’t know why you don’t remember. I’ll have to ask Uryū if he knows.”

“You’re not going to tell us?” Karin asked.

“No, I will,” Ichigo promised. He smiled when both of his sisters relaxed. “After school, though. I need to get to school.”

“Will you tell everyone?” Yuzu asked.

Ichigo nodded. “Tatsuki especially. She was at Inoue’s last night, so she wasn’t here.”

“Okay,” Yuzu said.

“You’ll be good to get to school on your own?” Ichigo asked when he was putting on his shoes. He had morning duties today. If he ran, he’d get there in time to do them.

“We’ll be fine,” Karin said, rolling her eyes. “Go. We’ll see you after school today.”

“Bye, Onii-chan! Have a good day at school!” Yuzu said.

“Yeah. See you later!” Ichigo said.

The run to school was quiet. A few different groups of people recognized him and looked ready to fight, but he ignored them. It wasn’t like they’d keep up anyways.

“Oh, hey Kurosaki,” said one of his classmates, who was there for their own morning duties. Ichigo nodded at them, deciding not to speak. He had no idea what their name was, but he supposed that they were all used to it.

The morning routine was simple enough to help Ichigo relax. He needed the calm. His friends would all know something was up the moment they saw him, but Ichigo didn’t want to alarm any of his classmates. Or his teacher.

“Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!” Inoue said cheerfully.

“Hey, Ichigo,” Tatsuki greeted.

“Morning,” Ichigo said.

Both of them looked worried before their greetings were over. Tatsuki, especially, looked ready to fight. Ha. Tatsuki was way over protective of him, even if he wasn’t the crybaby he was when they met.

“Kurosaki-kun?” Inoue said, brow furrowed.

Ichigo shook his head. “Later. It’s something kind of big. And I need to ask Uryū something.”

Tatsuki stared at him for a long second before nodding. “At lunch, then.”

Uryū came in a minute later. “What happened,” he said flatly by way of greeting. His fingers twitched, as if he wanted to draw his bow.

“Later,” Tatsuki said. She always did know when Ichigo didn’t feel up to talking, even to his friends, “We’ll all talk at lunch.”

Uryū nodded, but didn’t look pleased.

Chad came in soon after. He didn’t say anything, but he did look at Ichigo worriedly.

Ha. Was Ichigo that obvious? He hoped not, and that it was just that these people knew him better than anyone.

And then Rukia came in the door. Ichigo sat up immediately, staring at them.

“Hello!” Rukia said cheerfully, smiling. “I’m Kuchiki Rukia. I’m a transfer student?”

Wait. _Everyone_ could see them. When did that happen…? Rukia was a _spirit_ , only Ichigo and Uryū should be able to see them.

“Hello!” Inoue greeted, bouncing excitedly up to meet them. She always excited to meet new people. Ichigo could tell that she was keeping an eye on them, though.

Ichigo watched as his classmates all gathered around Rukia, talking excitedly over each other. They hadn’t had a transfer student in a long while, and a new feminine person was bound to catch their interest.

“Ichigo,” Tatsuki said, “Who is that?”

“Someone I met last night,” Ichigo said. “And part of what I wanted to tell you at lunch.”

Uryū frowned. “Is that so.”

“Oh, hello,” Rukia said brightly. They held out their hand, palm up, as if expecting to be handed something. “Nice to meet you!”

_Tell anyone and I’ll kill you._

Ichigo stared at the hand, and then up at Rukia. “Nice to meet you too,” he said flatly.

Like hell he wasn’t going to tell the others. Rukia would just have to _deal_ with it. He hadn’t lied to his friends and family before, and there was no way he’d be letting this spirit he’d just met make him start.

“Kuchiki-san?” Inoue said. “Do you need some books? I noticed you didn’t have any of your supplies.”

Rukia folded their hand and smiled brightly at Inoue. “Yes, I’m sorry. My transfer was a bit last minute. I was incredibly lucky to get a uniform before I came!”

Inoue distracted Rukia and Ichigo sighed. Inoue was too kind for her own good, sometimes.

“Ichigo,” Uryū said, staring at Rukia

Ichigo shook his head. “Later.”

Tatsuki frowned. “They’re going to be a problem, aren’t they.”

“Likely,” Chad rumbled. He didn’t _dislike_ anyone, but there was something to be said about dealing with people.

“Later,” Ichigo said, again.

Later came both too fast and extremely slowly. Rukia was a terrible student, really, and looked like they were barely even paying attention. Ichigo refused to let yesterday affect his grades and took notes as usual. His friends all did the same.

School was usually a great distraction, but today it was terrible. Every minute seemed to take forever, and not even doodling in his notes helped time pass. Nor did he particularly want to deal with what was coming after.

Lunch did come eventually, though.

“Ichigo-san?” Mizuiro said, frowning at him. He was just as observant as Ichigo’s closest friends, just quieter. It wasn’t surprising that he sensed that something was wrong, either.

“Ichigo!” Keigo yelled, running to jump on him. Ichigo dodged the tackle and then kicked him to the ground, still looking at Mizuiro.

“Yeah, you both might as well come,” Ichigo said, shrugging.

“What are you doing?” Rukia said, looking curious.

They were a pretty good actor, Ichigo had to give them that. It was just that no one in this particular group of people tolerated liars. Even Mizuiro, who was a practiced liar, was truthful around them. Or rather, he just oftentimes chose not to speak most of the time.

Rukia seemed to understand that and they frowned at them.

“We’re going to lunch, Kuchiki-san!” Inoue said. “Why don’t you come with us?”

Thank God for Inoue, Ichigo thought. She was the best suited at all of them with dealing with strangers. They were all too blunt and straightforward.

“Um, okay,” Rukia said, fidgeting. “If that’s not a problem.” They glanced at Ichigo, looking wary. And somewhat threatening, if that look in their eyes was any indication.

Ichigo snorted. Yeah, good luck with getting him to _not_ say anything. He led the group through the school and up to the roof where they normally had lunch. It was empty, which was good.

“Okay, so what the _hell_ is going on?” Tatsuki demanded as soon as the door to the roof slammed shut. “I spend _one_ night not at home!”

“Is this what you were saying you felt like would happen yesterday?” Inoue asked.

“Are you okay?” Chad asked.

“And who is _this_?” Uryū demanded.

Ichigo sighed. “Okay, first of all, a hollow attacked my house last night.”

There was a silence.

“ _What._ ” Uryū said, voice devoid of all emotion. He was shocked and worried, and angry on their behalf though. “That should _not_ have been possible!”

“Is everyone okay?” Tatsuki demanded, leaning forward. “How are Yuzu and Karin? Your dad?”

“Are _you_ okay, Kurosaki-kun?” Inoue said. Chad looked worried right behind her.

Mizuiro was silent, and so were Keigo. They were the two that were the most unfamiliar with spirits, though they were both aware. Being friends with Ichigo tended to make people figure out something was up.

“They’re _fine_ ,” Ichigo said, “I don’t know how, though. They were hurt last night, but I woke up and… they weren’t.”

Uryū frowned. “How was the hollow able to sneak up on you?” he asked.

Ichigo looked at him, clueless. “I have absolutely _no_ idea. Our alarm system was _broken_ last night.”

“I’ll head over after school to put new ones up,” Uryū promised.

“But everyone’s okay?” Tatsuki asked.

“Yeah,” Ichigo said, “There’s a hole in our wall, though.”

“Is the clinic okay?” Inoue asked, worried. Oh yeah, she volunteered at the clinic occasionally.

“The clinic is fine,” Ichigo said.

“What are you _doing_?” Rukia hissed, looking angrily at him. They looked wary when the others all stared at them in return, but stood their ground. “You’re not supposed to tell them anything!”

“What,” Uryū said icily. He looked seconds away from shooting Rukia. “Were you doing at Ichigo’s home last night?”

“Yeah,” Ichigo added, “You did something to my family. They don’t _remember_ what happened! They thought a truck broke through the wall.”

“And that the truck driver just upped and drove away?” Tatsuki asked incredulously.

Ichigo shrugged. “If it weren’t for our wards being down, I’d have thought I just had a nightmare.”

“It sounds like one,” Tatsuki said, frowning.

“Ichigo!” Rukia said, staring angrily at him. “I said! Don’t tell anyone!”

“And why should I have listened to you?” Ichigo demanded. “Look, I’m grateful for what you did. There’s no way I can repay you for it. But that doesn’t mean that you’re going to get me to _lie_.”

“What _did_ you do, Kuchiki-san?” Inoue asked. She was rubbing her hands together and her brow was furrowed. Huh. Apparently she was already fond of Rukia.

“They saved me. And my family,” Ichigo said, sighing. “And probably healed them, too.”

Rukia frowned. “They? I am a _woman_ , fool.”

“ _She_ saved my family,” Ichigo repeated. Well, that saved him the trouble of asking what her pronouns were.

“What did you do?” Uryū repeated. His tone was still icy but he seemed willing to at least _refrain_ from shooting Rukia.

“She gave me her power,” Ichigo said. “I had a sword. It was _weird_.”

“...sword,” Uryū said, staring at Ichigo oddly. “...What _is_ Kuchiki-san?”

“I am right here,” Rukia said, fidgeting. She probably didn’t expect them to know a lot about spirits. Probably that ridiculous pride she had in being a shinigami. Which, yes, being a shinigami was a _good_ thing, but that type of pride was dangerous.

“She’s a shinigami,” Ichigo said.

There was a very odd silence.

“ _Shinigami_?” Uryū demanded. “You’re a _shinigami_??? You gave Ichigo the powers of a shinigami?!”

That… was unexpected. The group stared at Uryū, who was looking odd. He looked like he couldn’t decide whether or not to be angry or surprised.

“...Yes,” Rukia said eventually, blinking at Uryū. “It was the only way to save him and his family from the hollow. It was only supposed to be _half_ of my power, of course, but…”

“Ichigo. Has shinigami powers,” Uryū repeated, faint. He stared at Rukia for a long moment. And then, in a smooth motion, Uryū stood and drew his bow. He aimed a glowing arrow at Rukia.

Ichigo stood and grabbed his wrist, ready to pull his shot. Uryū glared at him, and he was trembling with the force of his fury.

He’d never seen Uryū like this before. Uryū’s rage was generally the icy kind, in which the source of his ire was destroyed before registering it. This was more like Ichigo’s and Tatsuki’s anger, which was hot and impulsive.

“Uryū?” Ichigo murmured, turning so that Rukia couldn’t see Uryū. She had no place in this.

Uryū closed his eyes and let the bow go. The spiritual energy faded into the air. And then he left when Ichigo let go of his wrist.

Ichigo turned around to the worried faces of the others. Even Rukia seemed to be concerned, although she also looked confused. Huh. Apparently shinigami had never heard of Quincy like Ichigo had never heard of shinigami.

Uryū had, though. That kind of rage didn’t come from _nowhere_. Ichigo frowned as he checked where Uryū went. He’d talk with him later.

“Ichigo?” Tatsuki said, staring after Uryū too. “What the hell just happened?”

“I honestly have no idea,” Ichigo told her. “I’ll go talk to him later.” After Uryū had some time to calm down.

“Kuchiki-san,” Inoue said, “What are shinigami?”

Rukia shook her head. At least she started to look resigned to the fact that Ichigo would have told the others.

“Shinigami are exceptionally strong spirits,” Rukia said. “We are in charge of keeping balance by way of two tasks; making sure that the spirits move on to Soul Society, and killing hollows.”

Well, that was a much simpler and easier to understand response than the one that Rukia had given Ichigo last night. Then again, it did sound like a rather automatic answer. Rukia was probably still shocked by having an arrow pointed at her chest.

“And you gave Ichigo your power?” Tatsuki asked.

“Yes,” Rukia said, and inclined her head. “Unfortunately, his own spiritual energy was more than I had anticipated. I had intended on giving him half of my power. Instead, he took all of it.”

“How can we see you?” Chad asked.

“Yeah! None of us have spiritual energy,” Inoue added.

“That is because I am wearing a _gigai_.” Rukia said. “It is confining, but it will help me regain my power. And it lets me be seen by humans.”

“I took all of it?” Ichigo asked. “I didn’t mean to.”

Because that sounded terrible. Ichigo was born with his energy, but he was still _human_. He still had a life outside what his spiritual energy gave him. Rukia was a _spirit_. Her entire existence depended on that energy, and Ichigo had _taken it all_.

Rukia shook her head. “It is fine, Ichigo. Even without my shinigami power, I am still a spirit. There are things I can still do.”

“You help spirits move on?” Tatsuki asked. “How?”

“With my zanpakutō,” Rukia said. “They are not regular swords, even within Soul Society. They _are_ a shinigami’s power. The blades are capable of purifying hollows and sending them on. The hilts have a seal that sends lingering spirits on. Either way, only shinigami have them, and thus only shinigami have these duties.”

There was that pride, again. Rukia had said that she didn’t want Ichigo to tell them anything, and here she was explaining what shinigami did. Like Ichigo had thought, that pride would cause problems..

“How are you going to do your job?” Ichigo asked. “Hollows, I can take care of on my own. But there are a lot of spirits that stick around.”

Like Naomi. He’d have to check on her later. She was a strong enough spirit that the hollow would have liked her as a snack.

“ _You_ are going to do my job,” Rukia said simply. She smiled. “The World of the Living runs parallel to Soul Society. I have been assigned to this town, but I am incapable of sending messages home.”

“Wait, what?” Ichigo said, blinking. “No, there’s no way. For one, I don’t have a _sword_ , second, how?”

There’s also the fact that Ichigo had taken Rukia’s power because his family was in that immediate danger. That if not for Rukia in the first place, Ichigo could have reacted more appropriately by grabbing his bow and killing the hollow himself.

Ichigo fought for his family. He wasn’t going to standby when he saw strangers on the street being attacked or harassed, but he wasn’t going to go out of his way to work to defend them, either.

Ichigo was not that nice of a person.

Rukia pulled out a glove. “Oh, you’ve got a zanpakutō. A monstrously oversized cleaver that you swing around with the grace of a caveman, but a zanpakutō nonetheless.” Rukia slipped the glove on. It was blue and had a flaming skull on the back, Ichigo saw.

And then Rukia jumped forward and pressed the glove to Ichigo’s forehead. He fell backwards, but managed to catch himself.

“What the _hell_ was that for!” Ichigo yelled.

“Ichigo?” Tatsuki asked, staring at him. At his body. Which was crumpled on the ground.

“Kurosaki-kun, are you okay?” Inoue asked.

“He is fine,” Rukia assured them, and somewhat impatiently. “He is simply having an out of body experience.”

“What?” Ichigo said. And then he realized what he was wearing. It was the same black uniform that Rukia had been wearing yesterday. And the zanpakutō was still slung across his back, a thick red rope holding it there.

Huh. Not as frilly as he worried, thankfully. And it was easy to move in, though Ichigo had expected that. He bounced lightly in place, an automatic response to finding himself in new clothes.

“The uniform is called the _shihakushō_ ,” Rukia said. “It is the uniform of shinigami. You have shinigami power, and so you are dressed within it. When my power left me, I was left in a white yukata.”

“Ichigo?” Tatsuki asked. She was carefully not looking at his body, but rather in the direction of his spirit. Rukia was looking at him, so Ichigo supposed it was easier.

Ichigo wondered if he would be able to make himself visible like he had made Naomi visible. He had enough spiritual energy to do that, right? Or would his own strength make it so that he needed more energy to be seen?

Either way, now wasn’t the time for experiments. Besides, Uryū would want to help. He always did. Even if he seemed to hate shinigami almost instinctively.

“How do I get put back in my body?” Ichigo asked.

Rukia frowned at him. What, did she think that he’d be _excited_ to be kicked out of his body? She still looked impatient, which, why? “Just… touch it and focus on it. It’s _your_ body, so it’ll absorb you on its own. A little less work than putting on a gigai.”

Ichigo sighed and touched his body. There was a weird feedback, like he was feeling the sensation of both his body and his spirit at the same time. Huh. Well, it was _his body_.

There was a sudden pressure, like Ichigo had just jumped into a pool. It wasn’t painful in any way, but it was surprising. Ichigo blinked and then felt himself _shift-_

He opened his eyes back in his body.

“Ichigo?” Tatsuki asked, helping him sit. “You good?” Chad and Inoue hovered over him as well, worried in their own ways.

Ichigo sighed. “Yeah. Just… weird. Especially with that sword.”

“A sword?” Tatsuki frowned. “You’ll need training. You have no idea how to use a sword.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ichigo rolled his eyes. “But where would I learn?”

“I,” Rukia huffed. She looked offended that they almost forgot she was there. “Am going to teach you.”

“You’ll have to teach Tatsuki,” Ichigo said. Tatsuki nodded.

“Why?” Rukia asked, frowning.

“Because Tatsuki-chan and Kurosaki-kun learned everything together,” Inoue said as if it were obvious. Because it _was_ , duh. “And Ishida-kun…”

“Uryū is too set on archery to really work with a sword,” Ichigo said, thinking about it. He _did_ manage to make Uryū take martial arts lessons with Ichigo when they were younger. “He’ll probably want to learn the basics though…”

“I don’t know if he will work with me,” Rukia said. She looked offended at the very idea that someone would avoid her.

“Probably not,” Tatsuki said.

“I’ll beat it into him if he’s stubborn,” Ichigo said, shrugging.

“Um, Kuchiki-san,” Inoue said, fidgeting. “I know you have to teach Kurosaki-kun to use a sword, and Tatsuki-chan will learn with him. But, do you think that you can also teach me? I mean, not a lot, but…” Inoue trailed off.

“I, too, would like to participate,” Chad said.

Ichigo grinned at him, amused and pleased by the idea. Chad was very capable of taking care of himself, especially with his almost inhuman durability, but he wasn’t one to use weapons. He could use a bow passably well since Ichigo had taken to teaching him after they met, but a sword was a different matter. Chad would be amazing with a sword.

Rukia sighed, looking incredibly resigned to her life. Ichigo couldn’t help but smirk with Tatsuki. That generally _was_ the proper reaction to his group of friends.

“Oooh,” Keigo said, making himself known for the first time during their conversation. Strange. Well, as much of an idiot as Keigo was, he wasn’t actually _stupid_. “Can we learn, can we?” he asked, bouncing excitedly.

“It does sound like a useful skill to have,” Mizuiro added. That wasn’t a lie, but Ichigo could tell that he figured knowing how to use the sword would be impressive to the women he dated. Or it was something else entirely. Mizuiro liked being able to keep everyone around him confused.

Rukia frowned at them all. “Ichigo, I have no choice but to teach you. Tatsuki, either, I can tell. And those two wish to learn for a reason I can understand, and honor in return. But _you_ two simply appear to want to learn for selfish reasons.”

Keigo looked meek at Rukia’s assessment. Mizuiro just smiled, neither confirming or denying.

“You don’t have to teach them,” Ichigo said. “Maybe how to hold a sword without accidentally cutting themselves open,” he added to make Mizuiro and Keigo stop looking at him like he had killed a beloved pet. Manipulative idiots.

Huh. Teaching them did sound like a good idea. He wondered about his sisters…

“Maybe you can teach Karin and Yuzu, too,” Tatsuki said. They always were on the same wavelength. “We’d teach them after we learned enough, but having you teach them directly would be good, too.”

Rukia frowned, and then released a large breath. “Maybe,” she allowed. “But that depends entirely on how well Ichigo does. He will be doing my work as a shinigami, but that does not mean that I do not have other things to do.”

“Kuchiki-san, where are you staying?” Inoue asked.

Rukia shrugged and waved a hand. “It is of no matter. My lodgings have already been taken care of.”

Ichigo frowned at her. That was an ominous statement…

“How are we going to keep in touch, then?” Ichigo asked. “If I’m supposed to take over your job until your powers come back.”

Ichigo still wasn’t sure if he wanted the job, honestly. For one, he was only fifteen, with a school and his sisters to worry about. Another reason was Uryū and his reaction. Why would Uryū know about shinigami? And why was he so adverse to them?

Also, Ichigo just plain didn’t _want_ to. Like he said. Not _that_ nice.

Rukia pulled out a flip phone. “This. It is a _denreishinki_.”

“That is a cell phone,” Tatsuki said flatly. “There’s really nothing divine about it.”

“Ah, if it were a regular human phone, then yes,” Rukia said, sniffing, looking offended that Tatsuki had even made the comparison. “The denreishinki are used by shinigami sent to the World of the Living. Other than our Hell Butterflies, they are the only way to directly communicate with the shinigami back in Soul Society.”

“The shinigami adapted them from cell phones, though, right?” Ichigo asked. He didn’t even want to _ask_ about Hell Butterflies right now.

“Perhaps. I am not in the Twelfth Division,” Rukia said.

_Twelfth Division?_ Ichigo wondered.

Were the shinigami organized enough that they actually had divisions?

“How does that help us stay in communication, though?” Ichigo asked. Because if it were just a cell, then they’d be able to exchange numbers.

Rukia rolled her eyes. “Just because this isn’t your human technology doesn’t mean that it can’t connect. We exchange numbers just as you would, though denreishinki are for work rather than social calls.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ichigo said. He pulled out his phone. “Here, put your number in.”

“Oh, I’ll do more than that,” Rukia muttered. She grabbed the phone and then plugged… something in the charging port. The deed was done before Ichigo could even try to save his phone.

“Here, my denreishinki data is now added to yours,” Rukia said, handing him his phone back. It felt… warm. _Spiritually_ warm. What?

“What did you do?” Ichigo asked.

“That was a copier. Denreishinki are closely guarded due to their capabilities. And I couldn’t just ask request a second to be sent out here. Your cell phone now has the same basic functions as my denreishinki,” Rukia said.

“What _does_ a denreishinki do?” Inoue asked curiously.

“Usually, it acts as the connection between shinigami stationed in the World of the Living and the shinigami that stay in Soul Society,” Rukia said, “But here, there is one function even more important. It tracks hollows.”

Almost as if recognizing the need, Ichigo’s phone started screaming at him. He instinctively dropped it and covered his ears. Tatsuki frowned.

“What the _hell_ is that noise?” Ichigo demanded.

Rukia got to her feet, and then with the glove, pushed him out of his body. Again.

“That is the alarm that a hollow is materializing in this world!” Rukia said. “It’s an early warning system. Dismiss it, and then it’ll show the tracker!”

Tatsuki ended up being the one to turn his phone off. Ichigo thankfully pulled his hands away from his ears.

“Thanks,” Ichigo said.

And then swore when he saw his body on the ground again. Tatsuki was hovering worriedly over it, though she was looking almost at him. The others were just trying very hard not to poke at his body.

“Ichigo?” Tatsuki asked.

“He’s here, and he is fine,” Rukia assured. Or, tried to. That wasn’t a very reassuring tone.

“You really need to stop doing that without permission,” Ichigo said flatly. He tried to reach for his body again, but Rukia grabbed his wrist.

“No, you can’t just yet,” Rukia said, staring at him, “You have a job to do. There is a hollow arriving.”

“Ichigo,” Tatsuki said, “Go. I’ll look after your body.” She was looking… through him? But her gaze was steady, as it always was. Somehow that gave Ichigo strength.

“Yeah!” Inoue agreed, smiling. “Go be a superhero!”

Chad didn’t say anything. But there was a look in his eye that told Ichigo all he needed to know.

Even Mizuiro and Keigo looked assuring. Which was, frankly, the strangest thing that had happened in teh past five minutes. 

“Fucking hell,” Ichigo muttered. “Fine, fine, I’ll go do it. But I am _not_ happy about being dropped into this mess.”

“You don’t have to like it,” Rukia said, “As long as you do your job.”

Ichigo groaned. He hated doing something like this without at least Tatsuki there. Having Uryū there too would have been nice, he was the better shot. But Ichigo was still reeling from what happened last night.

This was going to be a disaster, he could tell. Because swinging a sword the length of his body around like a baseball bat did _wonders_ for how effective it was.

“Okay,” he said.

\-------------------------

“This is _not_ okay!” Ichigo shouted the next night when Rukia popped out of his closet door. How the _hell_ had she gotten in there? And why hadn’t anyone noticed her?

She had spent the last day ‘teaching’ them how to use their swords. And with Tatsuki, Inoue, and Chad there, she had done it while Ichigo was thankfully in his body. Rukia had somehow acquired them all _shinai_ and then pelted them with baseballs

Baseballs that had been drawn on, with one being ‘plus’ and one being ‘minus’. Her drawings were still horribly cutesy, but at least she had taken his previous criticism to heart. They weren’t the same animal this time around.

It was somewhat humiliating, especially since Ichigo had thought that using his sword like a baseball bat wasn’t a good idea. He had only been grateful that Rukia had said that she would teach him actual stances and forms _later_ , and this was just a test of his reflexes.

That was after school, and had lasted a couple of hours. Ichigo had fortunately passed by Naomi’s street corner and talked with her. She had been scared of the hollow, which had passed by, but managed to hide with the other spirits in the area.

When Ichigo returned to the clinic, he felt that Uryū had been by and placed new wards down. It seemed that Ichigo would have to chase him down for them to have an actual _talk_. Only familiarity made Ichigo certain that Uryū was just reeling from the presence of a shinigami rather than any desire to keep a secret from him.

Tatsuki had been here for a while, checking on Ichigo and helping him with his explanation to his sisters. She had gone to her own house for the night. His father wasn’t there, off with a drinking buddy, but that was okay.

“There’s no time!” Rukia said, scrambling to her feet from the floor.

In the dress that Yuzu had been asking about. Oh, Yuzu was going to kill them. Actually, Ichigo would kill Rukia and the go to Yuzu as repentance. Because no one in Ichigo’s family liked thieves!

And then Rukia jumped and pressed that glove against Ichigo’s forehead. He fell backwards. Again.

“You’ve got to fucking stop that!” Ichigo shouted.

And then the wards went off. They were the basic kind, tied to the location only, and completely unlike the previous ones that would warn Ichigo no matter where he was in Karakura.

They were still better than nothing, and Ichigo would also have to thank Uryū for his quick work. And then wrangle him to make him help Ichigo put up better ones.

At the same time, Ichigo’s cell phone went off with the hollow alarm. Thankfully he had found a way to change the alarm so that it didn’t hurt his head every time that it went off.

“Shit!” Ichigo said when the hand started coming through the ground. He scrambled backwards, instinctively going for the sword at his back.

The hollow roared, and Ichigo swung his sword towards it. He was too slow, still unaccustomed to the weight of it, but he at least managed to crack the mask.

And then stopped in place when he saw the very human eye glaring at him. Because that eye was… familiar, in a way that Ichigo often tried very hard to forget.

The hollow retreated, roaring still. Ichigo couldn’t tell if it was scared off by getting a sword in its face or if it. If he hadn’t planned on his face being seen.

“That’s why we are trained to cut hollows from behind,” Rukia said, frowning at him. At least she was a decent enough person to look sympathetic.

“I knew him,” Ichigo said.

“We’d best leave, then,” Rukia said grimly. “If you know any living relatives, then he’ll go after them.”

_Inoue_. She had been injured that morning, hadn’t she? But Ichigo thought it was a car accident. Though there was that bruise on her leg...

Shit. Ichigo would have to go ask Uryū for more spiritual sense training. Ichigo should have been able to feel the hollow on that claw mark.

“Ichi-nii?” Karin said through his door. “What is going on?”

“Hollow, Karin,” Ichigo said. “Got to go kill it. I’ll explain after, okay?” he promised.

“Okay,” Yuzu said, worried, “Be safe.”

“We’ll take care of your body,” Karin promised.

“Come back soon, dinner’s almost ready,” Yuzu added.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ichigo said. He opened the window, and then leapt from it.

Well, if there was one thing about being a disembodied spirit, it was that he was able to do things like this. It turned out, that when you were made of spiritual energy, and strong enough to have a lot of it, you could basically ignore the laws of physics.

Shit. Tatsuki was at Inoue’s apartment, too, wasn’t she? Ichigo ran faster.

Rukia somehow kept up with him despite being in a false body. Was it modified in some way? Probably; Ichigo didn’t have the time to worry about it.

“You’ve heard that widows often die soon after their spouses,” Rukia said, “It is theorized that it is of a broken heart. In reality, their souls are eaten by the hollows of their deceased spouse.”

Ichigo didn’t bother trying to explain that there had been recent research into how humans died of broken hearts. Likely, as a spirit as old as Rukia claimed she was, she had little to no knowledge in biology.

Besides, it wasn’t as if Rukia was lying. Just because Ichigo hadn’t seen it happen didn’t mean that it never happened.

“How do they become hollows then?” Ichigo asked, even as he pushed himself. There was no way that he was letting either Tatsuki or Inoue get eaten by a hollow.

Rukia didn’t answer. “Hurry, fool. If we do not then that girl will die,” she said.

“Her name is _Inoue Orihime_ ,” Ichigo snarled. Almost without thinking, he… _phased_ through the wall, finding himself in Inoue’s living room.

Inoue was there, but she was hovering over Tatsuki. Tatsuki, who was conscious, but bleeding from two long scratches along her side. They were shallow, but that bruise on her forehead spoke of a concussion.

“Kurosaki-kun!” Inoue greeted, smiling warmly despite the situation. “Tatsuki-chan will be okay. She’s been hit worse during tournaments!”

“Wait, you can see me?” Ichigo asked around his sheer relief.

And then he saw the chain on her chest, and then her body.

“She is already dead,” a soft voice said, “So it is her soul that can see you.”

And then Ichigo flew through the window, breaking it. Apparently, he had to _focus_ to phase through things like this. It seemed that shinigami had strong enough spirits to affect the physical world, for all that they were invisible to humans.

“Ichigo!” Rukia shouted.

Ichigo grabbed his sword and swung it around. It was blocked by the tail. And then the hollow _spat_ at Ichigo. His hands were covered in, frankly, a gross green liquid that burned his hands.

“Shit,” Ichigo said, and then jumped back. He _pushed_ with his reiatsu, coated his hands with it to form a mitten. It wouldn’t heal his injuries like this but it’d protect his hands from the acid.

Fuck, why hadn’t he grabbed his bow?

Ichigo was tougher and stronger than a regular human, especially when he used his reiatsu to bolster it, but that didn’t mean that martial arts would do anything against a hollow. And using a sword he had no idea how to wield was doing Ichigo more harm than good.

Then the hollow came and knocked Ichigo back into a wall. This time it actually hurt more than he’d like, and Ichigo decided a moment to just… rest would be worth it.

“Ichigo!” Rukia said, and kneeled by him. Her hands hovered over him as if worried to touch him. “Ichigo, you need to hurry. That hollow will eat Orihime’s soul.”

“Like hell,” Ichigo growled, climbing to his feet. Sora _loved_ Inoue. Had stolen her away from those shitbags that had donated their DNA to Inoue. And Inoue was Inoue; she’d never let herself be eaten by her _brother_.

At least, that was how Ichigo felt until he re-entered Inoue’s living room as Sora threatened to kill Inoue.

“Like hell!” Ichigo shouted, bringing his sword up and around to push Sora back and away from Inoue. Wasn’t it great that his anger made his sword fit more comfortably in his hand than before. “Don’t you ever fucking say anything like that again!”

This was Sora’s little sister! He was her _older brother_! To even threaten to attack her was disgusting. To attempt to kill her was _the worst thing_.

Ichigo vaguely, distantly wondered if this iciness was how Uryū felt when he was angry. It seemed that these last couple of days were for everything about them to just switch.

“If Orihime won’t live for me, then she’ll die for me!” Sora yelled and rushed forward.

Ichigo brought up his sword to block him. But before he could react, Inoue had moved forward and then raised her arms-

Sora bit down on Inoue’s shoulder. Blood started to seep from her wounds, and still Inoue pulled her older brother into a hug.

“I’m sorry, Onii-chan,” Inoue said, “that I made you feel like I forgot about you.”

Ichigo watched their interaction, sadly. He knew that Inoue was still heartbroken over her brother’s death, especially with the way that had last talked hanging over her head.

“Here,” Ichigo said, raising his sword. It was… odd, to hand it over to someone not him. But Inoue, and Sora, needed this. Some slight discomfort was worth it. As nice as it would be for Sora to revert to his pre-hollow form, Ichigo knew that it was impossible. “This will purify you.”

Sora stabbed himself in the chest. Rather than disappearing instantly, fading into spiritual particles, Sora dissolved. It allowed Inoue and Sora to say their goodbyes.

“Thank you, Kurosaki-kun,” Inoue said when Ichigo strapped his sword to his back.

“No problem, Inoue,” Ichigo assured. “Will you be okay?” he asked. Because he knew that at that moment, Inoue was definitely _not_ okay.

“Yeah,” Inoue said. “Um. How do I get back into my body?”

“Just touch it,” Ichigo said, shrugging. “That’s how it works for me. And Rukia can get to healing you, because the blood is starting to smell.”

Rukia sniffed as if she was above such things when she had previously already offered to heal Inoue and Tatsuki.

“Oh, yeah,” Inoue said, looking surprised that she had forgotten that she was bleeding. From a _bite_ wound. Seriously, Inoue’s ability to hyperfocus was practically legendary by now. “Will my body be like this?” she asked.

“No. It’s not a life threatening wound, so it’d be fine for you to enter your body right now,” Rukia said, focused on Inoue’s shoulder.

Her hands were glowing a soft green. Ichigo _had_ to learn that trick, it looked miles better at healing than just shoving reiatsu at a wound and hoping for the best. Well, it’d be something Uryū would be interested in helping Ichigo figure out.

“But you would be weak until your injuries healed. And with your spirit injured, you would be vulnerable,” Rukia explained.

“What about Tatsuki?” Ichigo asked.

He knelt next to her, and grabbed her hand. He was invisible, but his bruises told him that he could interact with the physical world. Tatsuki blinked, and focused blurry eyes on Ichigo. She was stubborn enough to stay conscious when Inoue was in danger despite being hit in the head hard enough to get knocked out.

“I am most worried about her concussion, but she will be fine,” Rukia assured. Well, Ichigo knew that, Tatsuki really had worse just from the numerous tournaments that she attended, but it was nice having confirmation.

“That’s good,” Ichigo said. He started feeding Tatsuki some of his energy. Better than nothing, and it was a good pain reliever at the very least. Tatsuki blinked again, this time with her eyes more focused on him.

“I’m going to start teaching you _zanjutsu_ ,” Rukia said in the silence.

“I thought you already were teaching us how to use a sword,” Inoue said.

Rukia shook her head. “I will continue to teach you that. But Ichigo is the shinigami, and today reminded me of it. He will need to learn zanjutsu.”

There was something in his tone that piqued Ichigo’s interest. She saw something that made her think differently. It had to have happened during the fight.

Ichigo sighed and returned his attention to his friends. Tatsuki was still conscious and staring at him- past him?- to Inoue.

Who was still outside of her body as Rukia treated her wounds. The effort seemed to be taxing Rukia, since she had a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

Ichigo had no idea how to go about playing battery to her. Quincy in general took the spiritual energy latent in the air and used it as they wished. Ichigo leaked enough energy that what he used was basically his own energy, which was why his control was shit, and why forming a bow took so long.

Uryū was good at using Ichigo as a battery, and Ichigo was good at hitting him with energy when he got tired. But that was between two Quincy, and Rukia was a shinigami.

Eh. Something to think about later… Uryū really needed to get his head out of his ass, because Ichigo was thinking of _so many_ different experiments for him to do. And of course Ichigo was thinking of them while Uryū was hiding from him.

“I am going to be in so much trouble,” Rukia muttered as she watched Inoue get back into her body. Ichigo assumed that her honesty was because she was just tired.

“Why?” he asked.

Rukia blinked, and looked surprised that she had voiced that thought out loud. Still, she answered. “Because humans aren’t supposed to know about shinigami. If I were to follow protocol, I’d have erased and replaced their memories by now.”

Which… sounded fucking _horrible_. Erasing someone’s memories, especially the ones like this…

Ichigo shared a glance with Inoue, who looked uneasy by that too. Tatsuki gripped his hand in distress too, still awake enough to follow the conversation.

“That is fucking stupid,” Ichigo said flatly. Because he tended to go flat and irritated when things like this happened…

Shit. Was this why Uryū was avoiding him? Or, rather, Rukia? He was Quincy, but also human.

Rukia rolled her eyes. “It’s protocol, fool. It only works on humans with less than average spiritual energy.”

That was a relief. Also, “And you just aren’t because it won’t work on _me_ , and I’d have told them everything again anyways,” Ichigo said.

Rukia frowned at him, but didn’t deny it.

Ha. At least she was a quick learner. It usually took people losing their patience and some of their sanity before realizing that Ichigo would quite literally burn the world for people he considered family.

Inoue rubbed at her shoulder, no matter that it was invisible. Ichigo frowned and sort of. Poked, at her, sensing. He was a crap sensor in general, but he found it decently easy to check on their energies. At least, for people that weren’t his sisters.

She _felt_ injured, like this. Huh. Uryū would probably be able to help him explore this, later.

Ichigo sighed, and wished Inoue a good night. Inoue would look after Tatsuki, and hopefully explain what had happened while she was out of it. Or tell her to ask Ichigo- he wouldn’t blame Inoue if she did. Saying goodbye to her brother had to be difficult enough.

Rukia followed him quietly as they walked back to his house. Yuzu and Karin would need answers, too. Rukia could at least spend the night, but now that he knew where she was staying, he’d have to deal with that, too.

Chad. Chad deserved to know, too. He would never complain, but Ichigo knew that he hated it when Ichigo got in fights without him. And not the ‘some thugs jumped me today’ kind of fights, but the ones that _mattered_.

This definitely was a fight that mattered. And Ichigo felt as if there were definitely upcoming fights that would fit that description, too.

There was also Uryū and his knowledge about shinigami to think about. Ichigo needed to talk to him.

“Ichigo?” Rukia asked, looking up at him. “You are thinking. Very loudly.”

“Just…” Ichigo trailed off. “This is pretty big, you know? I had an idea, before. But this is definitely really big.”

Rukia nodded. “Yes, being shinigami is a task that is tiresome, but necessary. It… it is good, that you are finally seeing this.”

Ichigo shook his head. That wasn’t entirely what he was talking about. “How are you going to teach me zanjutsu?” he asked, instead.

“We will consider it an extracurricular activity, like a club,” Rukia said. “It is extremely necessary that you learn how to wield your zanpakutō. An hour after school every day, at the minimum.”

Ichigo thought about it, and then about his zanpakutō. It was easy to carry it around, but there was… it just felt _off_ to him. Like he wasn’t using it right, nor was it the right shape for him.

It might be because he was just way too used to his bow, and his fists, to really think that a sword was comfortable.

“Yeah, that sounds okay,” Ichigo said, “Though Tatsuki will learn right alongside me.”

Rukia sighed. “Yes, even in the past couple of days I have noticed that you will not do anything without her.”

Ichigo smiled. “Well, not _anything_. But we learned everything we do together. She won’t be as interested in it, but she’ll stick around. You don’t have to worry about her interrupting.”

“Your life is an interruption,” Rukia said, snorting. Then she looked shocked that she had said that out loud.

Ichigo laughed. He found that he liked this Rukia, better. Not the haughty shinigami that assumed superiority over everyone, or even the spirit using a false body, so unused to and foreign to everything human. This Rukia was probably the Rukia that the other shinigami saw back in Soul Society.

“You’ve got no place to talk, midget,” Ichigo said, finally finding himself more comfortable around her. If she could tease like that, then there was absolutely no reason that they couldn’t get along.

“Midget! How dare you!” Rukia said, honestly furious with him. She attempted to kick him in the knee, which Ichigo dodged.

“Not offensive if it’s true,” Ichigo said, “Also, that is Yuzu’s dress and she is annoyed that it was taken.”

“I had no other clothes to wear,” Rukia said, sniffing.

“So? That doesn’t give you the right to steal,” Ichigo said nothing about Rukia being small enough to _fit_ Yuzu’s clothes. “If you asked, then Yuzu would have gladly lent some of her stuff to you.”

“I do not need your charity,” Rukia said. “But I will accept her generosity.”

Wow. Still so uptight. Well, Ichigo and his family would beat that out of her while she was here. It’d do her some good, anyways.

Still. Ichigo had hopes for her now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was not supposed to exist. I had no plans for this chapter. Until I edited my outline, if you looked at it, there was nothing that said, "Hey, Fred, spend an entire damn chapter on this one thing that you didn't plan for anyways." but here it is.
> 
> Anyway, here's chapter two of iris. Hopefully things still make sense.

“You really need to talk with Uryū.” Tatsuki said after school the next day. She still had a nasty looking bruise on her forehead, and the scratches on her side were still painful to the touch, but she wasn’t _hurt_.

Tatsuki would normally be with Inoue, but after last night, she had asked to be alone for the weekend.

Ichigo looked up from his homework to look at her. She was twirling her pencil in her fingers, and staring out the window.

He sighed. “Yeah, I know. I was planning on talking with him tomorrow,” he said. Since tomorrow was Sunday and their day off, it’d be best.

Tatsuki frowned. “You sure? Maybe tonight. That way he has tomorrow to deal with it.”

Ichigo thought about it. Uryū liked showing the rest of the world that he was pretty much unflappable, and that took effort. “Yeah, that does sound better. I’m a bit worried he’ll run away from me, though.”

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure. You two have been through too much shit together to hide away from each other for too long.”

“Yeah,” Ichigo agreed, “He’s been avoiding Rukia, that much I can tell.”

“And she’s been attached to you like a limpet,” Tatsuki said, frowning. “Seeing you just _collapse_ like that, even if I know it’s just your spirit leaving your body? Not fun.”

“It’s not too fun for me, either,” Ichigo said. He’d ended up with _bruises_ because of that. Also… “I want to as Uryū to help me figure out how to make myself visible to you guys.”

Tatsuki blinked, “Oh yeah, you make Naomi visible whenever we go to visit, even if it’s just a little bit. It’d be interesting to see you as a spirit. Especially with that _sword_ you keep complaining about.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and then you’ll get to see me swing it around like a baseball bat.”

“Why do shinigami get swords?” Tatsuki asked, even if she smirked at him for providing _that_ image to her. “It sounds cool, but…”

“I have no idea,” Ichigo said, “But it’s annoying. I don’t mind learning zanjutsu, but it’d have been nice for my weapon to turn into something that I was _already_ proficient in.”

“Pretty sure it couldn’t have been a bow, though,” Tatsuki pointed out, “Uryū has always been insistent that Quincy are the only humans with spiritual power that have used bows.”

“At least those not _miko_ , at the very least,” Ichigo added.

Uryū had meant that Quincy were the only _group_ of people that used bows, but the difference was still something that amused Ichigo. They had, after all, met several miko and several priests who used bows for just that.

It also meant that Uryū had known about shinigami for a long while. And _that_ was something Ichigo refused to let him continue keeping a secret.

“Yeah,” Tatsuki said, smirking. “You’d best call Uryū though. He’s probably worried about you.”

“I’m worried about _him_ ,” Ichigo sighed. He pulled out his phone and sent of a quick text to Uryū. _We need to talk. Tatsuki’ll distract Rukia._ “You good with keeping Rukia busy?”

“Of course,” Tatsuki agreed. “Make sure to bring your bow, yeah? It’s been a couple of fights when you’ve been shit out of luck because you forgot it.”

“I know,” Ichigo said. “It feels like I’ve been forced into more situations like this than I’ve ever been.”

Tatsuki frowned. “Like, ever since Rukia got here things got crazier?”

“Yeah,” Ichigo said, “It’s only been two days, but…”

“Keep track,” Tatsuki said, “Two days isn’t enough to make a theory on anything.”

Ichigo nodded. “Okay.”

His phone vibrated. _At the apartment._

That meant the small flat that Uryū had a lease on. He still had his room at Uncle Ryūken’s place, but the apartment was where they went when they needed their privacy.

 _On my way_. Ichigo replied.

“You going now?” Tatsuki asked.

“Yeah,” Ichigo said. He quickly packed an overnight bag, his homework, and his laptop. He slipped his bow over his shoulder. The twins had a small roof at their window, so that’s where he would sneak out.

And why did it get to the point that Ichigo had to sneak out of his own home?

“Good. I’ll go keep Rukia busy,” Tatsuki said. “Good luck.”

“Yeah. Thanks,” Ichigo said.

It was easy to climb onto the low-hanging roof and wait for Tatsuki’s signal. Rukia was downstairs, which was why he’d been able to grab his stuff, but Tatsuki needed to make her look away from the door.

It didn’t take long. Tatsuki was good at what she did. Ichigo dropped to the ground, and rolled to the side. He crouched there for a second, making sure that no one would come outside to see what the large shadow that fell past the window was.

Still crouching, Ichigo walked away. With the bow strung over his shoulder, he felt calmer than he had in the past couple of days. Because with a bow, Ichigo was assured of his ability.

Nothing like being smacked around a lot to remind you that for all of your skill, you _really_ weren’t the best there was.

As soon as he got out of any lines of sight from the house, Ichigo broke into a quick jog. It wasn’t a long walk to the apartment, since Uryū had chosen it for its location between everyone’s homes, but he still wanted to get there quickly.

Uryū had long since given Ichigo and Tatsuki their own keys. He’d yet to give Chad and Inoue their own, but those two never went to the apartment on their own anyways.

“Oi, Uryū!” Ichigo called when he shut the door behind him. He dropped his bag on the couch closest to the door.

“In here,” Uryū said from the far back room.

There were only two, and it was basically the only place to sleep. The other room was used as one giant closet and storage area.

Ichigo entered the room. Uryū was sitting on a cushion, leaning against the wall. Instead of his usual sewing, Uryū was knitting. It was a scarf, from what Ichigo could tell, in purples and grays.

“Hey,” Ichigo said, and placed his bow on the stand near the door. “You okay?”

Because Uryū only ever knit when he was thinking too hard to sew. The last time Ichigo saw him knit was after their cat had just died.

“I’m fine,” Uryū said. He didn’t look up from his knitting.

Ichigo sighed and kneeled next to him. Slowly, because Uryū would stop him if he wanted to, he pulled the yarn from his hands and set it aside. And then he grabbed Uryū’s hands, because that was the only way to get Uryū to _focus_ ever since they were small.

“You really are worked up about Rukia,” Ichigo said. He let go of Uryū’s hands and sat next to him when Uryū didn’t respond.

“Your powers of observance astound me,” Uryū said after a long moment. Ichigo relaxed when he heard that dry tone. That tone meant that, for all that Uryū was upset, it wasn’t something that needed a full family intervention.

“Bastard,” Ichigo said fondly.

“You came here to talk,” Uryū said.

Ichigo sighed. “Yeah. About shinigami.”

Uryū snorted. “I guessed.”

Ichigo elbowed him. “Bastard,” he said, a little less fondly. Only a little, though. “You knew of shinigami a long time ago. Where? And why do you hate them?”

 _Why didn’t you tell me?_ Ichigo thought, but didn’t say. He’d be lying to himself if Uryū not telling him something like this didn’t hurt just a little bit. But there had to be a reason.

Uryū sighed heavily and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “That is an incredibly long story.”

“No shit,” Ichigo said. “But you’ve kept it a secret for this long, even from me. I’d like to know before I get any further into this thing with Rukia.”

“She basically kidnapped you,” Uryū muttered. Ichigo blinked at the sheer bitterness in his tone.

“Uh, yeah,” Ichigo agreed, “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not fighting to stay with you guys.”

“That’s right,” Uryū said, smiling. It was a very small smile, but Ichigo would take things where he could get them.

“So,” Ichigo said. “Something happened. You hate shinigami, that much is obvious. But that’s not much of a story.”

Ichigo waited. Uryū was silent, but it wasn’t because he didn’t want to tell Ichigo anything. He could tell the difference between Uryū’s thinking silences and stubborn silences, and this one was the former.

“I learned about shinigami from Grandfather,” Uryū said.

 _What_? Ichigo grabbed Uryū’s hand on sheer reflex as he always did whenever Grandpa was mentioned. No _wonder_ he had been knitting. It was around Grandpa’s death that Uryū actually started knitting as a way to keep his hands busy.

Ichigo had met Ishida Sōken a few times when he was younger, but they had always been brief meetings. He knew that Grandpa had taken to teaching Uryū after Uncle Ryūken had stopped teaching any of them. But since Ichigo’s mother was his main teacher, he had never spoken to the elder Quincy about training.

He had been a kind grandfather, and an efficient teacher, but that was all Ichigo really knew of the man.

...this meant that his mother also knew about shinigami and just didn’t _tell_ Ichigo.

Ichigo decided to ignore that right now, both because the idea of his mother keeping secrets _hurt_ , but also because Uryū needed someone to talk to. Ichigo could deal with his own problems _later_.

“What did he tell you?” Ichigo asked.

Uryū was silent for a long moment. “What did Kuchiki-san say about shinigami?” he asked instead.

“She mentioned that they were in charge of keeping balance. That they made sure that the spirits moved on, and that they purified hollows.” Ichigo offered. “Although I don’t understand how purifying hollows is different than just killing them.”

“...because Quincy destroy them,” Uryū said quietly. “We don’t send them on, we just kill them.”

Ichigo stopped. “...what?”

Uryū sighed. “That’s what Grandfather said. It’s why the Quincy were slaughtered.”

“...slaughtered?” Ichigo managed. Because his mother had taught him their history, and that there had been a decline in Quincy being born throughout the years, but she didn’t say anything about them being _slaughtered_.

“Yeah,” Uryū whispered. “It happened a couple of centuries ago, I think. Our families are one of the last Quincy families that still exist. It’s why my father and your mother were engaged when they were our age.”

Which Ichigo still thought was weird. His mother had always cheerfully treated Uncle Ryūken like her brother. Bringing up their previous engagement was the only time Ichigo remembers his uncle looking completely exasperated at something.

 _‘I may not be fond of your father, but at least Masaki’s relationship with him meant that we didn’t have to get married.’_ Uncle Ryūken would say.

Ichigo’s mother and her exuberance was also the reason that nothing that Ichigo or Uryū ever did surprised him. If Ichigo didn’t know Uncle Ryūken as well as he did, he’d mistake that quiet fondness for irritation.

“...that still doesn’t tell me why you jumped straight to attempted murder,” Ichigo said.

Because in the past two days, Ichigo had learned that shinigami were organized enough to have a structure of command. If Uryū had truly killed Rukia, there was no doubt in Ichigo’s mind that other shinigami would have come to kill them back just as hard.

“Because I was there when Grandfather was killed,” Uryū said quietly.

Ichigo squeezed his hand, and leaned into Uryū’s shoulder. Ichigo had _known_ that Uryū was there when Grandpa died. Ichigo and Tatsuki had to deal with everything after.

This was the first time that Uryū mentioned that Grandpa was _killed_ though. Before, it had always been ‘when he died’.

“What happened?” Ichigo asked. He’d tell Tatsuki later. She’d need to know, if Uryū was bringing up memories of Grandpa.

“Grandfather was teaching me how to make a bow,” Uryū said, eyes distant as he remembered. “But there were hollows. Grandfather told me to hide and that he’d hold them off until the _shinigami got there_.”

They never did, obviously. Ichigo grabbed Uryū’s hand tighter, since his voice had gotten devoid of emotion at the end of that.

“But there’s more?” Ichigo asked, because if the shinigami just didn’t _make it in time_ , Uryū would be angry, but not furious. He would blame all shinigami, but not hate them enough on sight to kill them.

“They got there on time,” Uryū said. Smirked as if it were funny. “They just didn’t come out until after Grandfather had died.”

“Well, shit,” Ichigo muttered. There really wasn’t much he could say. Uryū smirked at him, this time with honest amusement, but it felt hollow.

Ichigo closed his eyes, and forcibly detached himself from the situation. Because there was something _wrong_ with that. And not just the obvious. Because-

“Rukia stepped in between a stranger and a hollow to protect them,” Ichigo said. Part of it had to be because Rukia almost didn’t care whether or not she lived or died. But mostly it was because Rukia had _pride_ in being a shinigami and all that they did.

“One shinigami doesn’t change what they did,” Uryū said.

“...two,” Ichigo said quietly.

Because Ichigo was a shinigami. He decided, just now. Ichigo would follow through with this. He would figure out whether or not he’d be able to keep his zanpakutō after Rukia regained her powers, and continue this work in the World of the Living.

He liked being able to help send lingering spirits on, and the learned guarantee that killing hollows wouldn’t destroy them permanently.

Ichigo had been thinking about this since he helped Inoue Sora pass on. It just wasn’t until _now_ that he figured it out. Because Ichigo was Quincy, and now he was a shinigami, and that would offer him paths that he’d not be able to get whether he was just one or the other.

Uryū squeezed Ichigo’s hand in return in an almost painful grip. Then he let out a huff that was both amused and exasperated. “You aren’t giving this up,” Uryū said. Stated, really.

“Nope,” Ichigo agreed gently.

Maybe, with Ichigo as a shinigami, Uryū would also not try to kill Rukia again. Also, Uryū would be interested in figuring out Ichigo’s new powers. Shinigami had different abilities than Quincy did.

There was also the fact that Rukia had _no idea_ what Quincy were. That shinigami were structured enough to send shinigami on missions, and that they were assigned districts. That spoke of _government_ , and there was no way that every single shinigami knew what went on.

Ichigo didn't, either. But maybe as a shinigami he’d be able to figure it out.

Uryū sighed heavily, looking extremely resigned to the situation. Well, Ichigo _was_ Kurosaki, and they tended to inspire those sorts of feelings in others. Even other Kurosaki.

“Fine,” Uryū said shortly, “I don’t like shinigami, and I never will. But if you’re going to be doing this, then I’m going to make you the _best damn shinigami_ there is.”

Ichigo stared at Uryū for a second. For some reason, he felt a large amount of dread at that prospect.

Uryū smirked. “You don’t get a choice, Ichigo,” he said.

Ichigo sighed. “Yeah, I figured.” Then he thought about it and smiled. “This means that you get to take sword lessons, too,” he said.

Uryū stiffened. “...No. Absolutely not.”

“Ah, no, you’re going to learn,” Ichigo said, shaking his head. “It’ll be good for you. If i have to learn, then you have to too.”

“No.”

“Sorry, already decided, you’re learning,” Ichigo said cheerfully. “You and Rukia will just have to deal.”

“I said no, Ichigo.”

“Whoops, sorry, didn’t hear you? You said that you want to learn how to use a sword? Well, why didn’t you say so, Uryū, I’d have loved having you around since we first started,” Ichigo said.

He was absolutely delighted when Uryū turned a truly fearsome scowl in his direction.

Ha. Better than that previous blankness, definitely.

“I hate you,” Uryū said flatly.

“I love you too!” Ichigo returned. He was smiling cheerfully, the exact way that Yuzu did whenever she knew that she won an argument and got people to do something she wanted.

Yuzu had to learn that _somewhere_. The day that she had passed Ichigo in skill was a proud day for Ichigo.

And yeah, okay, Uryū would put Ichigo through hell as they trained. He always did, and always had fun doing it. At least it got Uryū learning something _new_. Besides, it would feel weird for the others all to learn a new skill without him.

Ichigo still made sure he was holding Uryū’s hand, though.

\--------------------------------------------------

“Oi, Ichigo, Uryū, you guys here?” Tatsuki said the next morning. “I have breakfast from Yuzu!”

Ichigo blinked awake slowly, and saw that Uryū was doing the same. They were curled up in bed, facing each other. Ichigo was wrapped in a duvet, and Uryū had somehow gotten tangled in both a blanket and the bed sheets.

Ichigo groaned and looked at the alarm clock. It was only… ten in the morning. Well, technically they slept in, but that didn’t mean that Ichigo felt any more awake than he normally did.

“How late did you guys stay up, anyway?” Tatsuki asked when she found them. She sounded amused. Ichigo managed to not flip her off. “I left breakfast on the kitchen table,” she said and the crawled into bed on Uryū’s other side.

“‘Morning,” Ichigo yawned. Tatsuki wouldn’t go away until they were more awake. “How are the others?”

“Yuzu and Karin are fine,” Tatsuki said, “Rukia seemed irritated that you left without warning, but she didn’t raise a fuss.”

“That’s good,” Ichigo said.

“...so, did you manage to convince Uryū to take sword lessons with us?” Tatsuki asked. Ichigo couldn’t see her through Uryū, but he could definitely imagine her grin.

“Yup,” Ichigo confirmed. The sheer hilarity that would be Uryū with a _sword_ managed to help him wake up.

Uryū groaned and covered his face with his blanket. “Shut up.”

“Sorry,” Ichigo and Tatsuki said. They weren’t sorry at all.

“I hate you,” Uryū muttered.

“No you don’t,” Tatsuki replied easily. She threw an arm over Uryū’s waist and leaned up to look at Ichigo. “But really, it’s ten and I have breakfast.”

“Ugh, fine,” Uryū sighed. He didn’t look too put out, though. It was Yuzu’s cooking and Yuzu’s cooking was the best.

“Get ready. I’ll set the table,” Tatsuki said. She then got out of bed to do exactly that.

“Hey,” Ichigo said, “You okay?”

Uryū blinked at him. He was farsighted so there really was no way that he saw Ichigo as anything other than an fuzzy person-shaped blob, but he could still see someone’s individual features.

“...I should be asking you that,” Uryū said.

Uryū had grown up knowing about the existence of shinigami and what they did to their people. Ichigo had learned of their existence literally three days ago, and the war against Quincy just last night.

There was also the fact that Ichigo’s mother didn’t tell him any of this. It was hard to come to terms with that.

“I’m fine,” Ichigo said, and thankfully, it wasn’t entirely a lie. “A bit worried on how I’m going to tell the twins, though.” Ichigo didn’t even consider _not_ telling them.

Uryū winced. “Yeah. I’ll help explain.”

“Thanks,” Ichigo said. “...should we tell the others?”

The others being Chad and Inoue. Tatsuki would know soon enough, probably over breakfast. Tatsuki was Kurosaki and learned everything right alongside Ichigo. And though Chad and Inoue were their friends, they hadn’t been there since the absolute beginning.

“I feel like we should. They know everything else.” Uryū said.

“Yeah,” Ichigo said, “I don’t like keeping secrets from them. Especially Chad.”

“What about your father?” Uryū asked.

Ichigo thought about it. “No, I don’t think so. He’s never… really been interested in knowing what’s going on. He’s too focused on the clinic.”

Uryū hummed. He didn’t say anything else when he climbed out of bed and reached for his glasses.

Ichigo shook his head and got out of bed to do the same. He’d taken a shower last night so he pulled on his spare set of clothes.

“Well, shit,” Ichigo sighed when he looked through his bag. “I forgot my school uniform.” He could go home, but he really didn’t feel like it. Besides, Rukia might not let him leave without her.

“I think that you have a spare one here,” Uryū said. “The skirt was torn, remember?.”

“Oh yeah. Do you think you can fix it for tomorrow?” Ichigo asked, pulling out some clothes. He didn’t think that they were doing anything particularly active today, so a graphic tee and some shorts would be fine.

Uryū snorted. “Of course. But you’ll probably need a new one anyways. You’re hitting a growth spurt.”

Ichigo blinked and looked down at his legs. “Really?”

“Yeah. You’re about a centimeter taller,” Uryū said. Uryū was the best at noticing things like that, so Ichigo shrugged.

“Sure. Shame, though, we’re still first years,” Ichigo said.

“You buy me the fabric and I can make you a skirt,” Uryū said. “You can probably keep on buying pants, though.”

Ichigo frowned and placed his hands on his hips. They didn’t _seem_ wider than before, but if he was growing, it was only a matter of time. At least they were only hips… “Yeah, thanks,” he said.

When they left to go eat, Tatsuki had already set everything out. Ichigo couldn’t help but smile when he smelled the food. Yuzu had made Uryū’s favorite foods. It seemed that she realized that something had happened.

“...can you thank Yuzu-chan for me?” Uryū said.

“You can thank her yourself,” Ichigo said.

“You’ll have to get used to Rukia being around,” Tatsuki said.

“Especially since she’s staying with us,” Ichigo said.

“...what?” Uryū said, staring hard at him. “Why is she staying with _you_?”

Ichigo sighed. “Because she is very good at fake crying. But she’s sleeping in the twins’ room. They said that I have too many people over for it to be comfortable with another person sleeping in my room.”

Uryū paused. “...they’re going to kill her,” he said. “Or, severely traumatise her. They traumatized _me_ and I don’t sleep in the same room as them.”

Tatsuki smirked. “Why do you think they decided that? Besides, Rukia can take care of herself.”

“She isn’t scarred for life already?” Uryū asked curiously.

“It’s only been a couple of nights,” Ichigo said, rolling his eyes. “And the twins aren’t _that_ bad.”

“Nah, they’re worse,” Tatsuki said, “though they have been on their best behavior with a guest in the house.”

Ichigo sighed. He knew that the twins were objectively terrifying-- mostly because growing up with Ichigo, Tatsuki, and Uryū as siblings sort of shattered any sense of limits that they might have had. But that didn’t mean that they’d actively tease someone like that.

Or, well. Ichigo decided not to worry. Rukia could take care of herself.

Her. Huh. He thought about it for the next couple of hours as the three of them completed their homework.

“Ichigo?” Tatsuki asked when they were finished. She had pulled out chocolate gelato from the freezer. “What’s wrong?”

“Hm? Nothing,” Ichigo said, “Just thinking.”

“About?” Uryū asked.

Ichigo hummed. “I’m thinking about switching pronouns,” he said.

“Huh,” Tatsuki said. “Really?”

Ichigo shrugged, “Not one-hundred percent. But I’m thinking about it.”

“Tell us when you make a decision,” Uryū said.

Ichigo snorted. “Duh.”

“So, Ichigo,” Tatsuki said, pointing her spoon at him, “How goes shinigami training, anyways?”

“As well as I can hope for, I guess,” Ichigo said. “Rukia hasn’t been teaching me much beyond zanjutsu right now.”

Uryū frowned. “Why did you have to get a _sword_ in the first place?”

“I _know_ ,” Ichigo agreed, “but according to Rukia, zanpakutō _are_ the shinigami’s power. She said that they are given blank swords when they enter the academy, and then those swords fill with their reiatsu. And since Rukia gave me her power…”

“Ichigo gets a sword,” Tatsuki finished. “Although having a sword does not mean that he knows how to _use_ it.”

“It’d be easier if I had a bow,” Ichigo said. “That zanpakutō feels _wrong_. I think that it’s actually Rukia’s zanpakutō, just adjusted to my height because it’s currently filled with my reiatsu.”

“...she literally gave you _her_ power,” Uryū said quietly, frowning. “How did she do that?”

Ichigo shrugged. There was a reason he hadn’t told them the exact process, and he didn’t feel like telling them now. So he was stabbed in the heart? He’s still here!

Tatsuki frowned at him. “Ichigo,” she said sharply, and Uryū matched her expression.

Ichigo held out for an impressive twelve seconds under their gazes before he sighed and rubbed behind his ear. As much as he hated lying to them, he hated worrying them even more.

“Ichigo,” Uryū said sternly.

“....I may have been stabbed,” Ichigo said. As quickly and as quietly as he could on the off-chance that they wouldn’t hear it.

Yeah, right.

“Stabbed,” Uryū said flatly.

“Stabbed, huh?” Tatsuki repeated.

They both were looking at Ichigo like he was an idiot. They were also furious on his behalf. Uryū’s hands were glowing as he gathered energy. Tatsuki was clenching and unclenching her fists.

“It’s fine,” Ichigo said as nonchalantly as he could. Because he’d like for these two to _not_ attack Rukia. Ichigo wouldn’t be able to hold both of them off.

“All right, then,” Tatsuki said. “Strip, Ichigo.”

Ichigo blinked at her, thrown. “Uh, sure, okay,” he said.

He took off his shirt and held it in his lap. He hadn’t put on a bra yet, so his breasts were bare to the world. Ichigo looked down and placed a hand over his heart. It was easy to remember seeing and feeling a sword pierce his chest.

Uryū stood up and came to sit next to him. “May I?” he asked, holding out a hand.

Ichigo shrugged. “Go ahead,” he said, and put his hand down.

Uryū pressed two fingers over Ichigo’s heart.

Ichigo didn’t have any scars from that night, nor were his clothes stained with blood. He had come to assume that it was because of how he changed clothes, after. Or Rukia had some really good blood remover. Either way, other than the hole in the side of their house, there had been no physical evidence of what happened.

“I feel nothing wrong, or even particularly changed,” Uryū said, frowning. “At least, physically. The change to your _reiryoku_ and your reiatsu are obvious.”

“Makes sense though, right?” Tatsuki said, “It’s his spirit that got turned into a shinigami.”

Ichigo shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe it was easier to give me a different spiritual power because I already have my own.”

Uryū sat back. “Hm. Put your shirt back on, Ichigo,” he said, and then pushed his glasses back up.

“That’s a thinking silence,” Tatsuki said as Ichigo put his shirt back on. “It’s not just that, is it?”

“...No,” Uryū said. He looked pensive. “But I don’t know, yet.”

“Tell us when you have an idea,” Ichigo said, shrugging.

“Of course,” Uryū agreed. “I wonder if you can create your bow outside of your body?” he mused.

Ha. Ichigo _knew_ that Uryū would be the most interested in testing what Ichigo could and couldn’t do. If Yuzu got Ichigo’s cheerful manipulation, then Yuzu got Uryū’s mad scientist streak.

“Probably,” Ichigo said slowly. “It might be harder, though. I noticed that I leak more spiritual energy everywhere now.”

Uryū nodded. “You do. We’ll have to work on that, too.”

“How about trying to see if you can make your spirit visible?” Tatsuki said. “I want to see what you look like.”

Uryū looked thoughtful. “I would like to see that, as well. Especially that sword of yours, since it’s apparently so oversized.”

Ichigo sighed. “Yeah, yeah. You’ll have to talk with Rukia though. I don’t have a way to leave my body without that glove of hers.”

Uryū grimaced. “Ugh. I guess.”

“Ha! You’ll be fine, Uryū. Rukia’s not that bad despite y’know, everything,” Tatsuki said, smirking.

“Our definitions of ‘fine’ tend to be very different,” Uryū said. He didn’t look like he was going to decline though.

“Rukia’s not that bad,” Ichigo said. “A bit uptight, but we’ll break her of that soon enough.”

“Is that so,” Uryū said, smirking. “Putting that aside, Ichigo, sit down. I want to see if there are any changes when you create a bow.”

Ichigo frowned. “Ugh. Can’t we just see how my physical bow fires arrows?” he said.

Uryū nodded. “We can do that as well. But you’ve got shinigami power now, and I’d really like to see how it affects your Quincy abilities.”

“Oh, this’ll be fun,” Tatsuki said.

She couldn’t see spirits or spiritual energy, but growing up with Ichigo made her more sensitive than she’d normally be. It’s probably what helped her find Ichigo whenever he was out of his body.

“Ichigo, bow,” Uryū ordered.

Ichigo sighed. “Fine, fine. Quit being so pushy.”

“Quit being so hesitant,” Uryū replied automatically.

Tatsuki started laughing.

\--------------------------------------------------

“Good morning!” Inoue greeted cheerfully the next morning.

“Morning,” Ichigo replied, which was echoed by Uryū and Tatsuki.

“Good morning,” Rukia said, smiling. She seemed the most fond of Inoue, and the least likely to act awkward around her. Well, Inoue was easy to like.

At least the smiling was better than that frosty glare she had sent Ichigo that morning. For all her continued lack of spiritual energy, she did manage to bring the temperature down a degree.

“You’ve healed well,” Tatsuki said, poking at Inoue’s shoulder gently. Rukia had managed to take care of their worst injuries, but there had still been some scabbing when Inoue returned to her body.

“Yes!” Inoue confirmed, lifting her arm into a circle. “It’s only a little sore! I feel worse after visiting the dojo.”

Rukia sniffed. “I got top marks in _kidō_ ,” she said.

“Kidō?” Uryū asked curiously.

Uryū and Rukia were definitely awkward around each other. Uryū, because Rukia was a shinigami, and all _that_ entailed. Rukia, because she definitely remembered Uryū tried to kill her, as well as her complete lack of knowledge regarding Quincy. 

Ichigo had confirmed it this morning, even though he had been sure.

“Our spells,” Rukia said. She looked like she was going to add something before she decided not to.

Uryū nodded, but didn’t say anything else.

“Hey, where’s Chad?” Ichigo asked, looking around. They weren’t late, so there was still a window of time where Chad would show up, but still.

“I don’t know,” Inoue said. She… didn’t frown, but she did look more pensive.

“He’ll be fine,” Tatsuki said, patting Ichigo on the shoulder.

“Well, yeah,” Ichigo said. He was well aware of Chad’s durability. If there were anything that could actually hurt him, Ichigo would be well aware of it. They all would have heard about it.

“Let’s just head to class,” Uryū said. “If Sado-san requires our help, then he will ask for it.”

Ichigo sighed, but they all started walking to homeroom. “Chad doesn’t like asking for help. We know this.”

“Strange. He takes after _you_ ,” Tatsuki stated.

“Not true!” Ichigo denied.

“Because we browbeat you into asking,” Uryū said.

“Ishida-kun, didn’t they do that to you?” Inoue asked glibly.

“...No,” Uryū said.

“Oh, we did,” Ichigo smirked, “We totally did.”

“I hate you all,” Uryū said flatly.

“It’s okay, Ishida-kun! We love you too,” Inoue said cheerfully.

Rukia, noticeably, didn’t say anything. Ichigo didn’t say anything to her, either. But he recognized that look on her face.

Well. If Rukia were homesick and lonely, then Ichigo would just have to work harder to be friends with her. Like hell he was letting anyone living in his home look so damn lonely. That was _not_ allowed.

Tatsuki raised an eyebrow at him when they caught each other’s eyes. She nodded, though, which was all Ichigo needed. Inoue was already fond of Rukia, and Chad didn’t _dislike_ her, which was good. Now they just needed to get Uryū to tolerate her more than he currently did.

Ichigo figured that they were all much more inclined to help since Rukia didn’t say anything about Ichigo wearing a skirt.

Chad didn’t come in for homeroom. He didn’t show up for their next two classes, either.

Ichigo looked at the others and saw that they were worried as well. It wasn’t like Chad to just… not come to class. He was usually able to send them a text if he was being held up.

“I’m checking up on him after school,” Ichigo said. Rukia frowned but didn’t disagree, which. Ha! Ichigo _knew_ that she liked Chad. It was impossible to _not_ like Chad!

“Where is Sado-san?” Mizuiro asked at lunch.

They all studiously ignored Keigo, who was fawning over Rukia. She took his attentions with complete grace, looking only marginally irritated. Although, that might be because Keigo helped her figure out her juice box.

And then Keigo was kicked away. Rukia looked surprised at his sudden disappearance, and then looked up.

Ichigo blinked. He recognized this guy, if only through sheer proximity. There were enough students at Karakura High that he didn’t come into contact with these people more than once or twice a week, but that didn’t mean that Ichigo didn’t see them around.

Why this guy was here, bleached blond hair and everything, was a mystery. Ichigo was certain that he and Tatsuki had frightened them all off after their first month of school.

“Kurosaki!” the guy bellowed. He pulled out brass knuckles. “You bastard! I’ve been quiet long enough! _I’m_ the only one that gets to have bleached hair around here!”

Ichigo sighed with Tatsuki. Uryū looked plain irritated. Mizuiro was smiling, which meant that there’d be molotov cocktails coming out. Rukia just looked surprised. Well, this was her first time dealing with the thugs that harassed Ichigo.

“But Ichigo’s hair is natural,” Rukia said quietly. Ichigo was gratified to see her shifting into a fight-ready position.

“It is!” Inoue confirmed cheerfully, not at all daunted by the looming thug. She smiled beatifically up at him when he turned her attention to her. And her chest. Well, it was nice knowing the idiot. Not one of them had any mercy that ogled Inoue in any fashion.

Before any of the group could take the guy down, he was tackled out of the way. He sort of… flew into the chain link fence along the perimeter of the roof. The guy fell to the ground and stayed there.

“Oh, hey, Chad,” Ichigo greeted automatically. And then he registered the bandages. “Wait, what the hell happened? Are you okay?”

Ichigo stood up and started poking at the bandages. Gently, and with the practiced eye that working part-time at a clinic gave him. There was the faintest smell of a cream that Ichigo had given Chad for bruises, and nothing smelled like blood.

“What the hell happened to you?” Tatsuki asked, raising an eyebrow. “You look like you got run over by a car.”

Chad grunted. “No, it was a motorcycle, and I took that guy to the hospital.”

“...what,” Uryū managed, staring wide-eyed up at Chad. Only Inoue seemed to take that statement in stride.

Ichigo frowned and poked at Chad’s bandages again to make his displeasure known. “Is that why you’re covered in bandages?” he demanded.

“No,” Chad said, “The bandages are from the steel beam falling on me last night.”

“...a steel beam,” Ichigo repeated, stepping back to look Chad in the eye. “And you didn’t think to call?” he asked.

Chad, at least, had the decency to look sheepish. “I may have forgotten.”

“Well, don’t forget in the future,” Tatsuki ordered, frowning. “You’re tough, and we get that, but you’re _our friend_.” Inoue and Uryū both nodded in agreement. Even Keigo, who was afraid of Chad at a distance, agreed.

“When did you get a cockatiel, Sado-san?” Mizuiro asked.

Ichigo looked and-- yeah, Chad was carrying a cockatiel in a cage. He had been so caught up in the sight of Chad, with his inhuman durability, being covered in bandages that he hadn’t noticed.

“Yes,” Chad said, and set the cockatiel down. Ichigo quickly put the extra bento they had made this morning in his hands before he could sit down. “I got him last night.”

“...did you get the bird at the same time the steel beam fell?” Rukia asked. She was gazing steadily at the bird.

Ichigo frowned and focused and... yeah, there was a spirit attached to the bird. He shared a glance with Uryū, who frowned as well.

“Yes!” the cockatiel chirped, “Sado-nii-chan saved me last night!”

It was a kid.

This was a _child spirit_ attached to the bird. Ichigo sighed, already knowing that the kid would be more trouble than they were worth, and that Ichigo would be dealing with it.

Well. He _had_ wanted Chad to know when anything important was happening. He hadn’t counted on Chad bringing the important to _him_ though.

“Hey,” Ichigo said, kneeling in front of the bird. “My name is Ichigo. What’s your name?” he asked.

“Hello, Ichigo-nee-chan!” the bird said, “My name is Yūichi!”

Ichigo smiled, and carefully, opened the birdcage. After a moment of hesitation, Yūichi hopped onto his finger.

“Nice to meet you, Yūichi,” Ichigo said, and then placed the small bird on Chad’s shoulder. Yūichi immediately relaxed, and Ichigo grinned. He knew that the kid was more attached to Chad. Being saved from a falling steel beam would probably do that.

“Hey, kid,” Tatsuki greeted, “I’m Tatsuki,” and that set off a round of introductions.

Ichigo stepped back to stand next to Rukia, who was still watching the bird. “We’re going to have to find a way get him to move on,” he said.

Rukia nodded slowly. “The task will be easy, but getting there will be slightly more complicated.”

“How so?” Uryū asked quietly. Ichigo could _feel_ the awkwardness in the air between the two of them. Well, at least they were trying.

“Because that kid is attached to a living being,” Rukia said, “A bird, yes, but one that is capable of speaking.”

Uryū frowned. “That implies that there’s a reason that Yūichi chose a bird,” he said.

“Shit,” Ichigo sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. “I was expecting _something_ , but that sounds like a bit more.”

“Of course,” Rukia said. “We should be fine with the bird here for now, but keep an eye out. At the very least, a spirit such as Yūichi will attract hollows.”

“Chad,” Ichigo said, “You’re coming to my place after school, got it?”

At the very least to check his bruises again. Chad was good at taking care of his own bandages, but it’d make Ichigo feel better.

Chad visibly hesitated. Ichigo frowned.

“Fool, you have lessons with me after school today,” Rukia said, kicking Ichigo lightly in the shin.

“Fine,” Ichigo sighed, rolling his eyes. “Come by around dinner time.” Chad was still hesitating, but this time Yūichi did as well. “You can come too, Yūichi. My sisters would like to meet you, anyways.” Ichigo said.

Both Chad and Yūichi relaxed. Well, the cockatiel was _cute_. Chad adored cute things to the point of embarrassment sometimes. Or, embarrassment in other people. None of Ichigo’s friends did ‘shame’ very well.

“Okay,” Chad said. Yūichi nodding alongside him. Ichigo couldn’t help but grin at the pair of them.

“Okay, now eat,” Ichigo said, “We made that for you, so you damn well better finish it.” With that, he sat down and returned to his own bento.

Ignoring Chad after telling him what to do was the best way to stop Chad from outright protesting. That, Ichigo had learned not a month into their friendship.

Chad paused, but did sit down. “Thank you,” he said as he unwrapped his bento. Ichigo knew Chad would like it, because he had made sure that they made some of Chad’s favorites.

“Why do you have Yūichi, anyways?” Keigo asked.

Yūichi had hopped onto the top of the cage. Keigo had been talking with him about nonsensical things. Ichigo always knew that Keigo was just a giant kid, and at least this way he was keeping Yūichi distracted.

“A friend introduced us last night,” Chad said, “After the steel beam fell, they said I could take him since I seemed more able to take care of him.”

“Sado-nii-chan is very strong!” Yūichi chirped.

“He is,” Ichigo agreed. “Though he might be a bit dumb, since he didn’t think to ask any of us for help.”

Chad sighed. “I will try more in the future,” he said.

“You’d better,” Tatsuki said, “We worry, you know?”

“Hm. Well, we’ll check over your injuries after dinner,” Ichigo said. “I’m all for your inhuman durability, but I’d like to actually check on them.”

“I don’t have anything beyond bruises and superficial cuts,” Chad said. He sounded vaguely offended that Ichigo was doubting his medical skill. Ichigo just stuck out his tongue at him.

“That still doesn’t mean that it won’t be easier with help!” Inoue said cheerfully.

Chad visibly deflated at her comment, which was probably why Inoue spoke up in the first place. Ichigo grinned.

Yūichi started giggling. It was odd coming from the beak of a bird, but Ichigo could _almost_ make out the young child. Ah. It disappeared the moment that he actually focused on it.

Ichigo definitely was pleased with how lunch went, though.

\--------------------------------------------------

That night was not so pleasant.

Ichigo swore as he helped carry the car accident victims into hospital beds. Yuzu and Karin were rushing back and forth, carrying supplies to each person for Isshin to use.

“We’re just a clinic!” Isshin yelled into the phone. Even as he was yelling at the secretary to the main hospital on the other end of the line, he was looking over those with the worst injuries. “Dammit, just tell Ishida that Kurosaki is calling in a favor! Those beds _will_ open up!”

Uncle Ryūken despised most of the rules and regulations that they had to follow as a major hospital. He would have to look for loopholes, but Uncle Ryūken would definitely help them. The Kurosaki Clinic was way too damn small to deal with a major car accident!

“Fuck,” Ichigo said, “Oi, Dad, we’ve just run out of beds!”

“Put clean sheets on the ground!” Isshin yelled. He was dealing with a large gash that was bleeding quickly. “As soon as that’s done, go for the worst injuries! Keep them stable until the fucking ambulances get here!”

“On it!” Yuzu and Karin echoed. They retreated back to the storage room and came out with armfuls of sheets. They hadn’t touched anyone yet, so they were clean.

It was a very tense half-hour until the ambulances arrived, taking the majority of the victims to the hospital. The couple that stayed were those that required stitches, or bandages, but didn’t require surgery. Eventually, even those ones were cleared of concussions and picked up by family to be brought home for rest.

“Shit,” Ichigo said. He rubbed his eyes with his forearm, since his hands were covered in blood.

“You did good,” Isshin said, smiling tiredly at them all. He sighed and pulled off his gloves. “We can eat after we clean up,” he said.

“On it,” Yuzu said. Both she and Karin were blinking tiredly at them.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ichigo sighed. “Grab the sheets, you two. I’ll start scrubbing.”

“Okay,” Karin said as both she and Yuzu started picking up the sheets that had served as beds, as well as stripping the beds.

Ichigo went to grab the cleaning supplies. It was a mindless task, so it was easy to just go through the motions and not think.

“Ichigo,” Rukia said, handing him a glass of juice. Ichigo blinked and looked at the clock. Huh, an hour had already passed while they were cleaning. He saw that the twins were drinking juice too. “It’s not a meal, but it’s better than nothing until you can actually eat.”

“...thanks,” Ichigo said. He honestly had forgotten that Rukia was living with them. They had all ordered her to stay out of the way as they dealt with the car accident.

Rukia watched them as they finished cleaning with an odd look in her eyes. She sighed, grabbed their emtpy glasses, and then turned to go back into the house, careful not to touch anything.

It didn’t take them much longer to finish up. The clinic had a couple of showers, so Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin made use of them. There were a few towels left, as well as their spare nursing uniforms. Isshin went to the upstairs bathroom to clean up.

“I’ll make dinner,” Ichigo told Yuzu. She was the one that spent the most time in the clinic, and after that disaster, would be helping their father with the paperwork.

“Okay,” Yuzu said, relieved. She worried too much. Just because they all loved Yuzu’s food the best didn’t mean that they didn’t know how to take care of themselves.

“I’ll stay down here, too, I guess,” Karin said. She yawned, though.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ichigo said. He rubbed their hair before he went back inside. Rukia was there, sitting on the couch, quiet. “Oh, hey. You okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Rukia replied automatically. She paused, “I knew that this was a clinic, but it seems that I had not understood until tonight.”

“That makes sense,” Ichigo said, “We’re small, but we can deal with pretty much everything except surgery. We rarely need to, though.”

“I was unaware that you were a healer,” Rukia said.

“I’m not,” Ichigo said, “Practically a glorified nurse.”

“No, you’re definitely a healer,” Rukia denied. She looked at him, thoughtful. “Your control over your reiatsu is terrible. But maybe _kaidō_ is something you can work with more easily.”

“Kaidō?” Ichigo asked. “Wait, is that the green glowing energy that you used to heal Inoue and Tatsuki?”

Rukia nodded, “It is both easier and harder than regular kidō. There are no chants or incantations to memorize, so it is easier. But one must be intimately aware of the differences between the energy put into the other forms of kidō and kaidō, or it can backfire. So it is harder.”

“I’d still like to learn,” Ichigo said.

“Then I will teach you that, as well,” Rukia said. “You are exhausted, but I can at least demonstrate it.”

“I’d like that,” Ichigo said, “But are you sure? Your reiatsu is still depleted, right?”

“You are not physically or spiritually injured, so this requires practically no effort on my part,” Rukia said. “And I’m not trying to heal anything. I’m just showing.”

“Okay,” Ichigo said. He sat down next to her.

“Hand,” Rukia said. Ichigo placed his hand in hers. “Kidō are cast from the hands, as a general rule. Due to the sensitivity of our fingers, it’s the easiest way to learn the differences in all of our spells.”

“Huh,” Ichigo said. That did make sense, though. It was how Quincy spells worked, especially their wards. “Although, I wonder if I’ll be able to? My hands are pretty scarred from archery.”

“It should be fine,” Rukia said. She frowned as she concentrated. “Your hands are scarred, but your spirit is fine. And even though your hands may be scarred in your shinigami form, your spirit is much tougher than your physical body.”

“If you say so,” Ichigo said.

“Ah,” Rukia sighed as her hands started glowing green. “Here we go. Your reiatsu control is terrible, but that does not mean that you should not be able to _feel_.”

Ichigo hummed, and closed his eyes. He could feel Rukia’s spiritual energy against his hand. It was cool, like he had just stuck his hand in the freezer, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

That wasn’t entirely it, though. There was… it wasn’t _warmth_ , exactly, as that would just be counterintuitive to Rukia’s entire spiritual presence. No, it was still cool, but… more? Like drinking an ice cold drink in the middle of summer. Something that felt nice.

“I think I can tell?” Ichigo offered. “At least, I can feel the intention.”

Rukia pulled her hands away. “That is good,” she said. “Using kaidō is as much of a mental state as using your reiatsu for healing. That’s why healers are hard to come by, especially compared to those that are combat proficient.”

“You’re not a healer?” Ichigo asked. He stood and walked to the kitchen counter. He’d make something simple but filling. They’d need it.

“No,” Rukia said. “I can cast kaidō as needed, but the Fourth Division did not offer me a position.”

Ichigo frowned. Why the hell would they give the medical division the number four? It was both greatly ironic and a perfect fit. Especially since they were the medical division of Soul Society.

“How many divisions are there?” Ichigo asked absently as he started pulling out pasta. Western-style noodles would be good.

“Thirteen,” Rukia replied. “I am a member of the Thirteenth Division.”

“Huh,” Ichigo said. He wondered if each division had a set role as it seemed that the Fourth Division had. It’d make sense if they did. Twelfth Division, the other division that Ichigo had heard of had sounded like it might deal with technology.

“Onii-chan!” Yuzu called. She sounded worried.

Ichigo immediately put down everything and hurried to the clinic.

Yuzu and Karin were holding Chad up.

The very image would be comical if it weren’t for the sweat covering Chad’s brow, or the fact that he looked seconds away from falling unconscious. Ichigo frowned and went to go take Chad from them, handing Yūichi’s cage off to Yuzu.

“What the hell, Chad?” Ichigo murmured. He sagged somewhat under Chad’s weight, but Chad was lucid enough to pick his feet up until they reached a bed.

“I’m sorry for troubling you,” Chad rumbled quietly. Ichigo helped him take off his shirt when Isshin came in, frowning.

“No, you don’t get to be _sorry_ ,” Ichigo snapped, “You’d have gotten to be sorry if you didn’t come, but never be _sorry_ for asking us for help!”

“Please don’t be too hard on Onii-chan,” Yūichi chirped sadly. He was hopping in place, and his feathers looked ruffled. Wait, what happened that made Yūichi start calling Chad ‘big brother’ more familiarly?

“I’m not angry, Yūichi, just worried,” Ichigo sighed.

 _Honestly_.

He knew that Chad was looking for another part-time job, and had only attended one of Rukia’s sword lessons, but this was something else. It figured that the one time Chad left after school without any of them is the one time he ended up actually injured.

Oh, wait, no, there was that steel beam last night, too. What was going on? It wasn’t like Chad was a danger magnet normally-

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and very carefully did not look at Yūichi. Chad hadn’t been this injured until the kid showed up. He wasn’t going to place the blame on Yūichi, but...

Chad hadn’t been this stubborn about receiving help before Yūichi showed up, either. He had his pride, but he also wasn’t an idiot.

Ichigo turned his attention to Chad’s back, where Isshin had been prodding at it gently. It looked like a giant burn, and was bleeding sluggishly. Ichigo scrunched his nose, even as Yuzu looked horrified and Karin looked sick.

“This was caused by a hollow,” Ichigo said.

He placed his hands on either side of the injury- which was shaped like a claw- and started channeling his reiatsu into the wound. It wasn’t healing energy, but at least replacing the hollow’s spiritual energy with his own would prevent the wound from getting worse.

Isshin frowned, but didn’t ask any questions. He bandaged up Chad’s chest with efficiency and put him on an IV. “You’re staying the night,” he said.

“He can stay in my room,” Ichigo offered.

“He should stay down here,” Isshin said, “It’ll be easier to keep an eye on him.”

“Um, Onii-chan, what were you making?” Yuzu asked, “I can make dinner for all of us.”

“Ah, I was just making some pasta.” Ichigo said.

“Sado-nii-chan, you don’t mind pasta, right?” Yuzu asked.

“...no,” Chad said. He was carefully not looking at Yuzu, which- Ichigo smirked. He was immune to Yuzu’s puppy eyes, but none of the others were. Even Tatsuki, who could put up a decent fight, gave in to them eventually.

“Karin?” Ichigo asked when he stepped away from Chad’s back. It was still a nasty wound, but without the hollow’s energy infecting it, it wasn’t that bad. He mentally thanked whatever deity listening for Chad’s durability.

“Hm?” Karin said, and then looked away from Yūichi. “Sorry. Hey, what’s your name?” she asked.

“I’m Yūichi!” he chirped.

“Nice to meet you, Yūichi-kun,” Yuzu said before disappearing into the house.

“Yeah, what she said,” Karin mumbled before leaving after her twin.

Ichigo frowned. He hoped that Karin was okay. She tended to overwork herself if no one reminded her to stop. Dealing with the car accident, as well as trying to get her co-ed soccer team going would probably be enough to make her tired.

“I’ll redo your bandages tomorrow morning. Keep the IV in until it runs out, but you don’t need to replace it.” Isshin said, patting Chad on the shoulder. “Ichigo will keep you company until bedtime.”

“Duh,” Ichigo snorted. “I’ll keep an eye on them.”

“My son! So wonderful!” Isshin wailed quietly before heading inside.

“...Chad,” Ichigo said, eyeing him. Yuzu had put Yūichi’s cage on an empty table next to Chad’s bed. “Where the hell did you come across a hollow?”

The only reason that Ichigo wasn’t demanding why Chad hadn’t called for help was because he had stumbled to the clinic. Obviously with that kind of injury getting _away_ was more important than taking the time to call. And considering how out of it he was when he got to the clinic, he probably didn’t even think about it.

Chad didn’t answer him.

Ichigo sighed. “Yūichi, why is there a hollow after you?” he asked.

“...there isn’t a hollow after me,” Yūichi said.

“Why don’t you pull the other one?” Ichigo asked. He kept his voice calm and gentle though. Yūichi was a kid, and probably had no idea what kind of mess he had gotten into. The least Ichigo could do was be nice.

“Ichigo,” Chad said. He looked mulish. Which.

Okay, yeah, Ichigo could be the most stubborn of idiots. But he wasn’t so stubborn that he refused to ask any of his friends for help. Ichigo, Tatsuki, and Uryū? They had long since learned that life was so much easier if they all relied on each other. Inoue had figured it out too.

Chad was the newest friend in their little group, but it had already been almost two years. And he wasn’t _stupid_ , or unreasonable. And they had made that promise, right? To fight for each other, since they both didn’t like fighting just for themselves.

“Chad,” Ichigo said, going for serious. If Chad was acting like he didn’t remember that promise they made each other, something _else_ was going on. “We promised, right?”

There was a lengthy pause. Chad sighed heavily, and rubbed at his eyes with his free arm. “Yes. I’m sorry,” he said.

“Promise?” Yūichi asked.

“We promised that we’d fight for each other,” Ichigo said, relieved that Chad seemed more reasonable. And if _Ichigo_ was thankful? It was bad, “Now, Yūichi, so I can keep _my_ promise, why is there a hollow after you?”

“...he isn’t after me” Yūichi said after a moment, “It’s just a game of tag.”

“A game of tag isn’t _lethal_ ,” Ichigo said flatly. Because if Chad didn’t have his durability, then Chad would be dead. And if tragic accidents like steel beams falling were a common occurrence, then there were other deaths. “Chad, who had Yūichi before you?” he asked.

“A friend,” Chad said, “But they did say that Yūichi was cursed, before.”

“If a hollow is chasing you, then of course it’d seem that way,” Ichigo sighed. “Okay. It’s safer here than if you were both out. And with the wards, we’ll _know_ if a hollow gets close.”

“Thanks,” Chad and Yūichi said.

“Yeah, yeah, thank me later,” Ichigo said. “Now, we’ll need dinner. Especially you, Chad, you’ll heal faster with food. Then we can figure out what to do about that hollow after.”

\--------------------------------------------------

“‘Morning,” Ichigo yawned when he went downstairs. “Is Karin okay?” he asked. She didn’t give him her usual response when he knocked on her door. Rukia had been waiting for him outside his door.

“Karin-chan feels sick,” Yuzu said, brow furrowed. “She says she’s well enough to go to school, but…”

“Is your sister sensitive to hollow energy?” Rukia asked as she stepped off the stairs behind Ichigo. “I could feel the hollow’s energy even from upstairs when Chad arrived last night.”

“No, she shouldn’t be,” Ichigo shook his head, “and Karin is strong. If the hollow energy was affecting her, she’d have affected it right back.”

“I wonder what-” Rukia started.

“Ichigo! Sado-kun isn’t here anymore!” Isshin yelled from the clinic.

“What.” Ichigo said, heading to the clinic to check. Yup. No Chad and no Yūichi in sight. He sighed. “I think I’m actually going to kill him.”

“You won’t,” Rukia stated, frowning as she stood behind him. “What is the likelihood of Chad being at school?”

“...slim,” Ichigo said. “I’ll go check anyway.” If anything, it’d let him have the others help him look. Chad was still injured, and Yūichi was being followed around by a hollow. He had texted the others last night about what had happened.

“Ichi-nii,” Karin said. Ichigo turned and saw her taking the stairs step by step. She looked feverish, and though he couldn’t see any shaking, she looked tired.

“Karin, are you okay?” he asked. He went to put a hand on her forehead. Karin had a fever, but it wasn’t dangerous. “You should go back to bed.”

Karin shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I can go to school,” she said. She sounded determined.

Ichigo’s phone went off. ‘ _Sorry I left. Hollow can blow things up’_ was the text.

Ichigo stared before he started swearing. He forwarded the text to the others, and then sent his own _‘Chad being an idiot, require help to find him.’_

 _“Seriously takes after you,’_ was Tatsuki’s response.

 _‘Okay!’_ was Inoue’s response.

 _‘Already looking,’_ was Uryū’s response.

“Okay, Rukia, let’s go,” Ichigo said. “Oi, Dad, call the elementary school to excuse Yuzu and Karin! I’m skipping!”

“What a dishonorable son!” Isshin wailed from the clinic before rushing forward to cry in front of their mother’s poster. Well, that was as much of a confirmation that Ichigo was going to get.

Considering that Chad had already been injured-- Chad, with his near inhuman durability, who could survive things that would kill normal people-- Ichigo quickly packed a first aid kit to take with them.

Chad was very good at running due to his height, so Ichigo decided that wearing something easy to run in would be best. His uniform was surprisingly comfortable, but his workout clothes would serve him better.

“Let’s go,” Ichigo said. He rubbed Yuzu’s and Karin’s hair quickly before he sped out the door. “We can check all of Chad’s usual places, first,” he told Rukia.

They ran around for twenty minutes before Rukia spoke up. They were walking, catching their breath and resting before they would start running again.

“Where the fuck are you?” Ichigo muttered as he checked his phone.

No texts from Chad, and texts from Tatsuki, Uryū, and Inoue where they had already checked. All together, it seemed that Chad wasn’t at any of his usual haunts. That made sense, if Chad was trying to stay away from them.

Then Ichigo got a text from Yuzu. _Karin-chan left the house. She threw up. I’m looking for her._

“Fuck,” Ichigo said. “I don’t have _time_ for this.” Ichigo forwarded the text to the others. They were quick with their replies, and the three of them shifted their priorities to finding Karin.

“Ichigo?” Rukia asked, frowning at him.

“Karin is sick and left the house,” Ichigo said.

He started pacing. Chad was in trouble, but so was his sister. It was _his job_ as the eldest child to look out for his sisters. And then he sighed. Ichigo wasn’t the only sibling that the twins had.

“Fuck it. The others are looking for her. I’ll just have to find Chad on my own.” Ichigo stopped pacing, and closed his eyes.

He _focused_ , extending his senses outwards. Ichigo had the largest range of sensing out of them all, mostly because his spiritual energy leaked everywhere. He ignored the things closest to him out of habit and some form of self-defence, because being aware of everything that happened around him at all times just gave him a terrible headache.

But Ichigo _could_ spread his awareness past the regular sight that having spiritual energy gave him. He rarely used it because the people most important to him were good at keeping in contact through regular means.

His mother, Uryū and, Uncle Ryūken had made sure that Ichigo could _use_ his sensing abilities though.

And so, determination fueling him and giving Ichigo more control than he’d normally have, Ichigo _sensed_.

 _There_.

Ichigo could feel Chad, distantly, but it was Yūichi that Ichigo found first. The same child-like energy that attracted hollows was what helped Ichigo find him now. He reached out a hand, and _grabbed_ \-- Ichigo opened his eyes, and his hand was clenched around the delicate white ribbon.

“Found you!” Ichigo grinned. He tugged, gently, and the ribbon started waving in the wind. He was able to focus exclusively on that ribbon instead of the multitude that he’d been able to sense.

“That was-” Rukia said, startled, but Ichigo didn’t have time.

“Let’s go!” he said, and started sprinting. Rukia cursed at him, but he could hear her running after him.

Following the spirit ribbon, it didn’t take Ichigo long to find Chad. Chad was jogging, carrying Yūichi’s cage in one hand.

“Oi!” Ichigo yelled.

Chad turned to look at Ichigo and Rukia. And then he turned right back around and started _running_.

“Oh, fuck you!” Ichigo shouted, and then started running after Chad. Unfortunately, Chad’s height made him a much faster runner and soon it took everything Ichigo had just to keep him in sight.

“Ichigo!” Rukia yelled from behind him.

“What?” Ichigo said. He glanced behind him to see-

Karin.

Ichigo stopped immediately. Karin was standing there, wobbly. Her face was flushed and her eyes were half-lidded and it looked like it was taken all of her willpower just to stay standing.

How the hell did she even find him in _this_ state?

“Karin!” Ichigo said. “What are you doing-”

“Ichi-nii,” Karin whispered, and then, horrifyingly, she burst into tears.

“Hey, hey,” Ichigo said soothingly. He picked Karin up and held her to his chest. She curled into him, and her hands clenched his shirt.

“Ichigo, take her back home,” Rukia ordered, “I’ll go after Chad.”

“You sure?” Ichigo asked.

“Yes. If she stays here, you won’t focus on the cockatiel or the hollow,” Rukia said.

“Yeah,” Ichigo said, because that was true. His baby sisters were the most important people to him now. He handed over the first aid kit. “Good luck,” he told Rukia, because she would need it.

“You as well,” Rukia said. She nodded at him, and then took off after Chad.

“Okay, let’s get you home,” Ichigo said. He pressed a kiss to Karin’s forehead.

Karin was crying. She hadn’t cried since their mother’s funeral. Ichigo knew that it was her way of trying to help her family, but it also broke his heart. Karin used to be an even worse crybaby than _Ichigo_ , and that said something considering he clearly remembered how often he cried when he was smaller.

Something terrible must have happened to make Karin cry. What, though, he had no idea. And Ichigo didn’t feel like asking at the moment. Not when keeping Karin comfortable was more important.

“Ichi-nii,” Karin whispered. Her cheeks were wet, and she still had tears forming in the corners of her eyes, but she wasn’t actively crying anymore.

“Hey,” Ichigo said, smiling. “How you doing?”

“Ichi-nii, Yūichi, he needs to move on,” Karin said, “He can’t be alone anymore. He needs to be with his mom.”

“...what?” Ichigo asked, startled. He almost stopped walking, too, but managed to keep going.

“Yūichi. He watched his mom get murdered in front of him,” Karin said. She closed her eyes, a fresh wave of tears running down her cheeks. “He’s so _lonely_ , Ichi-nii. He can’t be here anymore. He needs his mom.”

Well. That explains why Karin was crying. Ichigo didn’t cry, but there was that tightness in his chest.

“Okay,” Ichigo said. He sent off a text to Yuzu, who would be able to get home faster than Ichigo would..

“Ichi-nii, you have to help him,” Karin said. She looked up at him through her tears. “Please.”

“Okay,” Ichigo said. He smiled at Karin, though it probably looked tense. “I promise, yeah? I’ll help Yūichi move on.”

“Okay,” Karin agreed. She closed her eyes and curled in closer to Ichigo’s chest again.

“Onii-chan? _Karin-chan_?” Yuzu said when they reached the house. She had been worried before, but now she was surprised. Probably at how Karin looked.

“Here,” Ichigo said, helping Karin onto the couch. “Look after her, Yuzu. I have to go find an idiot.”

“Be safe, Onii-chan,” Yuzu said. She already grabbed a clean washcloth and started wiping at Karin’s face.

“Ichi-nii,” Karin whispered.

“I’m off. I’ll see you guys later,” Ichigo said. He rubbed Yuzu and Karin’s hair, and then turned on his heel and left. He still had Yūichi’s spirit ribbon in hand, so it was just a matter of running after Chad and Rukia.

If he felt like killing something after seeing his little sister cry, then, well, it was his job as her older sibling to do so. Ichigo still made sure to send off texts to the others that Karin was safe.

He found Rukia first. There was a hollow chasing her down, which explained why she was running _away_ from Chad and Yūichi.

Rukia stopped running when she saw him. He waved at her, and turned his attention to the hollow.

Well, Ichigo _did_ feel like killing something. A hollow was awfully handy to have around.

“Are you giving up?” the hollow asked. Ichigo smirked when he realized that the hollow had _no idea_ that he was there.

“No,” Rukia said, mirroring Ichigo’s smirk, “There’s just no reason to run anymore.”

Ichigo picked up a rock and threw it at the hollow’s head. “Hey, nice to meet you. You willing to trade opponents?”

“You!” the hollow shrieked, sounding offended that Ichigo had hit it with a rock.

“Me,” Ichigo agreed.

He saw Rukia pulling on that glove that allowed him to leave his body, but still he prepared to move out of the way if the hollow attacked suddenly. It was flying, so it definitely was more agile than most other hollows he’d seen before.

“Fine. If you want to be my opponent, then you can be my opponent!” the hollow said.

“Ichigo,” Rukia said, running at him with the glove.

It was all the warning Ichigo needed. He kneeled on the ground as Rukia smacked the glove against his forehead. He felt that disconnect between his spirit and his body, and then his spirit being flung backwards. It was that hour of practice that Rukia put him through that allowed him to do a quick backwards tumble to land on his feet.

The sword still felt awkward along his back, but its weight was more comfortable to him now. He pulled it up and around, and settled into the most basic of stances. He was still hilariously bad at zanjutsu, but even a couple of days worth of practice made him much better than before.

Well, time to check whether or not Ichigo would fight better. He forgot his bow again, so he needed the sword.

“This hollow, Shrieker, has parasites. They can either explode upon contact, or release leeches that explode on command,” Rukia told Ichigo, moving his body to the side.

“Explosives, huh?” Ichigo asked. He grinned. “I’m used to explosives. This will be _easy_.”

Ichigo leapt forward, bringing the zanpakutō around in a large arc. It made the hollow move backwards away from Rukia and his body. The hollow tried to spit those lizard-things at Ichigo, but his zanpakutō was large enough that it was simple to make them explode at a distance that they couldn’t harm Ichigo.

“Did you kill Yūichi’s parents?” Ichigo asked as he dodged more explosives, and used his zanpakutō to parry the others.

Seriously, he was too used to his _bows_ blowing up in his face to even be worried. He tried to keep it away from the ground, though. Ichigo had learned the hard way that hollows could affect the physical world and he had no want to fix those types of things.

Well, it turned out that the hollow didn’t just kill Yūichi parents. The hollow was a serial killer before he died-- and Yūichi was the one that did him in, trying to save his mother.

And then he shoved Yūichi’s soul into that cockatiel with a promise that if Yūichi could stay away from him for three months, he’d be able to bring Yūichi’s mother back to life.

The hollow kept talking after that, but Ichigo had honestly stopped listening. He was too intent on _killing_ the fucking bastard.

It was after Ichigo finished cutting the hollow into little pieces that he noticed Chad. He was standing over Ichigo’s body with the first aid kit in hand, but he was also… staring straight at Ichigo? Wait, not at him, just… in Ichigo’s general area.

Before Ichigo could question _that_ , he felt an overwhelming presence slam over him. Ichigo turned and saw a massive gate materialize in the air. Each door was adorned by large skeletons, wrapped in gray cloth. There were chains everywhere, both holding the gate together and holding it shut.

“What-” Ichigo started.

“Those are the Gates of Hell,” Rukia said grimly, staring at them.

“What?” Ichigo and Chad said.

“A zanpakutō can only purify hollows that commit sins after death,” Rukia said, “It can do nothing about the sins committed during life. And a soul that commits such disgusting acts in life are sent to Hell.”

The doors opened, and Ichigo couldn’t help but shiver as the power rolled out of them.

The hollow appeared, shrunken, and then was impaled by the skeletons on the door. Then the skeletons threw the hollow on the inside of the gates before shutting. As soon as the echoing sounds of the doors closing faded, the doors themselves dissipated into the air.

The oppressive feeling disappeared, and Ichigo couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

“Ichigo!” Uryū shouted. Tatsuki and Inoue were with him. Uryū glanced at Ichigo’s body. “I saw the Gates. What happened?”

“I killed a disgusting bastard is what I did,” Ichigo snarled. He paused, took a deep breath, and then ran his hand over his hair. He placed his zanpakutō on his back and then returned to his friends. “That hollow was a serial killer before he died. Turns out that means you go to Hell.”

“Hell?” Tatsuki asked.

Ichigo, Uryū, and Rukia all stared at her. “Wait, you can hear me?” Ichigo asked. He looked at Chad. “I thought Chad was looking at me, too.”

“Um,” Tatsuki said, glancing between Uryū and Rukia. “Sorry?”

Ichigo sighed. Of _all_ the times for Tatsuki to act meek. “Tatsuki. Yes or no. Can you hear me?”

“...yes?” Tatsuki offered. She tilted her head. “That was like hearing you through a really bad radio, though. And way out of sync. If this were a videogame I’d say that I have some lag.”

“...that’s new,” Uryū managed.

“...before we discuss these new revelations,” Rukia said, “Can we please deal with our wayward spirit?”

“Me?” Yūichi chirped.

“Yeah, you,” Ichigo said. He was still massively angry on this kid’s behalf, but he could deal with that later. Especially since the hollow bastard was in Hell now, apparently.

“That hollow is the one that placed you in the bird,” Rukia said gently. She held out her hand, “I can take you back out.”

Yūichi hesitated. “That would be nice,” he said.

“Okay,” Rukia said.

She put the glove on and placed her finger on the crest of the bird’s head. She poked, gently, and then Yūichi was ejected from the bird’s body. The cockatiel chirped in blatant confusion, but settled down when it was placed back into the cage.

Yūichi was a cute kid. “Oh,” he said, looking down at himself. “I remember. I died when I fell off of the balcony.”

“Your Chain of Fate is severed,” Rukia said. “You should move on to Soul Society. It’s a nice place, and much better than the World of the Living. You’ll never go hungry there.”

That sounded vaguely like an advertisement. Rukia was using her sugary voice, which Ichigo still found creepy. Either she was lying through her teeth or was taught to say this to any child spirit that they’d come across when in the World of the Living.

Ichigo sighed and knelt in front of Yūichi. “If your mother isn’t _here_ , then she’s likely over there,” he said. “If you move on, you’ll have a much better chance at meeting your mother than if you stayed.”

Yūichi nodded. “Okay. I don’t mind going.”

Ichigo pulled his zanpakutō off of his back. “See, the blade is what purifies hollows. But the hilt has a special seal that takes spirits to Soul Society.” Ichigo said, “I just have to press the hilt against your forehead and you’re off.”

“Cool,” Yūichi said. “Um. Can I-?” Yūichi trailed off and looked at Chad.

Ichigo smiled, and then pushed enough reiatsu into Yūichi’s spirit to make him visible to the others. It wasn’t the solid visibility that he used on Naomi, but rather left Yūichi see-through. “Go ahead. You don’t have to leave right now.”

“Thanks, Ichigo-nee-chan!” Yūichi said, and then ran to Chad. “Onii-chan!”

“...Yūichi,” Chad said. He knelt down.

“Thank you, Onii-chan,” Yūichi said. He paused and then threw himself onto Chad, hugging him tightly. Ichigo laughed at Chad’s startled expression, though he did hug Yūichi back.

“...No problem,” Chad said when Yūichi stepped back. “...the next time we see each other, I can carry you around again.”

Yūichi beamed. “Of course, Onii-chan!”

“Ready to go?” Ichigo asked when Yūichi walked back to stand in front of him.

Yūichi nodded. “Yes, please.”

“Okay, here we go,” Ichigo said, and pressed the hilt of his zanpakutō against Yūichi’s forehead.

Unlike that first soul burial Ichigo had ever witnessed, this one was a lot more understated. The seal appeared briefly on Yūichi’s forehead before his body faded and turned into a Hell Butterfly.

The butterfly flapped its wings once, twice, and then it was gone.

“Good-bye,” Chad said quietly.

Ichigo stood up and leveled Chad a look. Although Ichigo was certain that Chad couldn’t see him, Chad still looked up anyways.

Ichigo sighed and glanced at Rukia and Uryū. “Make sure Chad doesn’t fucking run away again. He’s more injured than he was because of that stupid fucking hollow.”

“Sado-san, Ichigo wishes to tell you that you are returning to the clinic with us,” Uryū said.

“...I understand,” Chad said.

“Good,” Ichigo said, and then strode over to his body. It didn’t feel as odd to slip in and out of his body anymore, which was good.

“Ichigo?” Tatsuki asked.

“I’m here,” Ichigo said, sitting up. He groaned, and stretched his arms above his head. “And still kind of pissed, honestly,” he said.

“Understandable,” Uryū said.“So, those were the Gates of Hell.”

“Apparently,” Ichigo said, wincing as he got to his feet. “Ugh. They wanted nothing to do with _me_ , but that energy was vicious.”

“Yeah,” Tatsuki agreed. “I couldn’t see or hear anything, but there was that _heaviness_ in the air…”

Inoue nodded, poking her pointer fingers together. “It felt really not nice,” she said.

“...you all felt that?” Rukia asked. She frowned. “I have heard that spiritually strong beings affecting humans enough that they started gaining their own spiritual abilities. It’s why unseated officers like myself are sent to the World of the Living rather than our commanding officers…”

Ichigo shared a glance with Uryū, who frowned. Ichigo shook his head before Uryū could ask questions. Rukia tended to offer information almost absentmindedly, but would clam up if asked about Soul Society directly. Ichigo was still trying to figure out what mood Rukia had to be in to answer his questions.

“But why would they be getting their own abilities _now_?” Uryū asked. “Ichigo has always had this terrible control.”

“Yeah. And Tatsuki has been around me since we were four. If she was going to get her own spiritual power, she’d have gotten them a lot sooner than this,” Ichigo said.

Rukia started walking towards the clinic. Which, good, because Chad needed looking after and Ichigo needed to check on Karin.

“Maybe it’s because Ichigo’s power changed,” Rukia offered, “Before, despite leaking power constantly, it was a power that you were all used to. Your bodies adapted, so to speak. But now that Ichigo’s power changed, that natural adaptation isn’t working as it did previously.”

Uryū frowned. “I suppose that’s a good working theory.”

“It’s the best we got,” Ichigo said, shrugging. “I’m mostly interested in figuring out what _kind_ of power you’re all going to get. None of you are Quincy.”

“And you’re the only shinigami,” Inoue said. She smiled brightly. “I want to fly! With rockets! And maybe be able to throw missiles around!”

“I doubt you’ll end up a giant robot, Orihime,” Tatsuki pointed out. “It’d be cool if I ended up giant boxing gloves though,” she mused.

“More like terrifying,” Ichigo said, “Though that seems likely, considering.”

“No,” Rukia said, shaking her head, “Spiritual power can be… surprising. My only basis of comparison are the zanpakutō of other shinigami, but there are still a large amount of unique powers.”

“Is that why you feel cold?” Ichigo asked.

Rukia blinked at him. “Ah, yes. My zanpakutō is Sode no Shirayuki, and she is an ice-type. There are two other ice-types that I know of in Soul Society.”

“You make zanpakutō sound like Pokemon,” Inoue said cheerfully.

“...your zanpakutō has a name?” Ichigo said.

Well, shit.

He carefully _didn’t_ think about the sword he was using as his own. Did that mean that Rukia’s powers were coming back so slowly because he was constantly using her zanpakutō?

“Of course,” Rukia said proudly. “Not all shinigami learn their zanpakutō’s names, though, so there is no need to worry about it.”

Ichigo let out a strangled sound. That was just making it _worse_! He knew that people tended to name their weapons, but with the added spiritual energy, it figured that zanpakutō would be actual _people_.

Sword-people. People in swords? Swords that become people? Because zanpakutō were previously asauchi, so that implied that they only gained sentience later.

“...I believe he is worried that because you gave him _your_ power, that his constant use of that zanpakutō is hindering the return of your power.” Uryū said. He looked amused at Ichigo’s reaction, but Ichigo could see that he was worried as well.

Rukia frowned. “No, that’s not how it works. Sode no Shirayuki may be her own person, but we are the same _being_. Ichigo may be using the sword, but my zanpakutō remains with me. My power will return as time passes.”

Ichigo sighed in relief.

“Does this mean that Kurosaki-kun gets his own zanpakutō?” Inoue asked. “He currently has your power, which makes him a shinigami. So that means that he should get a zanpakutō too, right?”

“...I don’t know?” Rukia said. She looked lost. “I do know that there have been substitute shinigami in the past, but that was… a long time ago. I don’t know how it works for you.”

“Well, Ichigo flying by the seat of his pants isn’t entirely new,” Tatsuki said. “It’s not new to any of us, either. Cheer up, Rukia, we’ll be fine.”

Rukia smiled. “I magine so,” she said.

“Wait, does this mean we get to train you?” Ichigo asked. He grinned at the others, feeling vindictive. Uryū smiled as well when he realized where Ichigo was leading this.

Tatsuki smirked. “Duh. But don’t think we won’t kick your asses,” she said.

“It’ll be fun!” Inoue said cheerfully.

“I am looking forward to what may happen,” Chad said.

“Oh, so am _I_ ,” Uryū said, smirking, “So am I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so chapter three should be dealing with Kon and that clusterfuck of a situation. It should also, theoretically, deal with Ichigo and co. going to Masaki's grave, but considering how this chapter came to be, probably not.

**Author's Note:**

> So, last thing. Ichigo is agender, asexual, and some-sort-of-but-probably-a-romantic. He uses 'he/him/his' pronouns, but that doesn't mean that Ichigo is a guy. iris gets into that later.
> 
> Also, this entire story is from Ichigo's POV, so a lot of what's being said, and not said, is dependent on that.


End file.
